An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Outside Crescent Moon Valley, amidst the beast tide.

Dozens of cultivators were locked in a desperate battle, feeling the pressure mounting with every passing moment. The number of comrades they could rely on dwindled rapidly. The moment their spirit power ran dry and they fell into the beast tide, death was inevitable.

Even those in mid-air had to guard against demonic beasts leaping up to tear them apart or being struck by flying boulders and massive tree trunks.

If this continued, their defeat and demise were only a matter of time.

Where was the President?

As the situation grew increasingly dire, the same question arose in their minds as it had in Sima Huiniang’s.

Why hadn’t the President taken action?

That question was soon answered.

A figure, surrounded by ten fist-sized fireballs, stormed into the beast tide like a raging hurricane.

Accompanying him was a torrential downpour of multicolored stone beads. Clusters of stone beads rained down in torrents. Wherever they struck, bursts of blood erupted from the demonic beasts.

Before the beasts could even react in fury, the fireballs orbiting that figure shot out.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A series of violent explosions echoed through the battlefield. With each detonation, one or even multiple demonic beasts were obliterated.

At this moment, it was as if a farmer were harvesting a field of rice. Yet what he reaped were not crops, but lives!

Suddenly, the figure halted near the city wall.

In his wake lay a path paved with blood and shattered bones.

”The President!”

”It’s the President!”

”The President has finally taken action!” Cheering erupted instantly.

Luo Chen, however, did not respond. His gaze remained fixed on the distant wasteland, where thunderous roars continued to erupt. The rumbling only grew louder, a forewarning of something far more dangerous lurking beyond sight.

”This battle must end quickly!” he declared. ”Everyone, fall back!”

Without hesitation, Luo Chen spat out a sword orb, his movements decisive and unwavering.

His command sent a shockwave through the cultivators of Luo Tian Society. Though still engaged in combat, they did not dare to hesitate. Forcing back the beasts in front of them at any cost, they retreated into the sky, their faces filled with shock and uncertainty.

Why was the President telling them to withdraw?

As confusion rippled through the ranks, the sword orb expanded with the wind, swelling in size and radiating an intense brilliance. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a streak of dazzling light.

”Go!”

Luo Chen held two fingers together like a sword, and with his Perfected Mastery Traction, the dozens of sword beams spiraled like a sword-energy tornado, crashing into the beast tide.

What did it matter if the demonic beasts had thick hides and sturdy flesh?

The sword orb was a product of the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect, and its previous owner had been a Foundation Establishment cultivator who had nourished it with enchanting power for decades. Even if its grade could no longer advance, its sharpness remained undiminished.

As the sword-energy tornado tore into the beast tide, it reaped tremendous results in the blink of an eye.

Dozens of demonic beasts were shredded into bloody mist without the slightest resistance. Yet, even as their kin were slaughtered, three towering Explosive Apes roared furiously, charging at Luo Chen with imposing momentum.

However, Luo Chen merely sneered coldly, his gaze indifferent. With a slight twist of his fingers, the sword-energy tornado transformed again!

A colossal sword, solid and towering, descended from the moonlit sky, slashing down with overwhelming force.

Its speed was lightning-fast, and its edge was razor-sharp.

The lead Explosive Ape, its strength rivaling that of a Perfected Qi-Refining cultivator, stood no chance. In an instant, it was cleaved cleanly in half, its lifeblood splattering across the battlefield.

The remaining two apes froze in horror, their primal instincts screaming at them.

Then, they let out panicked cries and turned around.

They ran!

Luo Chen, however, did not give chase. These were merely low-tier demonic beasts, herded into battle by a second-tier beast general. Their control was weak, and their cohesion was crumbling.

Especially now that the second-tier Explosive Ape had been locked in combat with Wang Yuan, they had no commander to guide them.

They were fighting purely on instinct, and without discipline, a beast tide was nothing more than a chaotic stampede.

”Everyone, attack together and finish off the remaining demonic beasts!”

Luo Chen extended his hand, and the sword orb transformed into a three-foot-long azure blade that landed in his grip.

He pointed the longsword diagonally downward.

A thunderous war cry followed.

”Kill!”

”Kill!”

”Kill!”

From beginning to end, Luo Chen had only made three moves.

First, he had stormed into the beast tide with Fireball and waste jade essence beads.

Second, he had unleashed a sword-energy tornado, shattering the densest part of the horde in an instant.

Third, he had executed a peak first-tier demonic beast with a devastating Giant Sword, striking fear into the remaining demonic beasts.

Yet in just those three strikes, he had reaped an overwhelming victory.

The sheer impact of his actions reignited Luo Tian Society’s faltering morale, sending it surging severalfold.

Streams of light crisscrossed the battlefield as cultivators launched into action, slaughtering the remaining ape-type demonic beasts before they could flee.

Among them, Duan Feng, Zeng Wen, and other elites moved with deadly precision.

With every strike they made, an enemy fell.

Seeing this scene, Luo Chen finally let out a breath of relief.

”President!”

A hoarse female voice reached Luo Chen’s ears. Turning his head, he saw Sima Huiniang approaching, guilt written all over her face.

”Sorry, I did too poorly,” she admitted.

Luo Chen waved his hand dismissively. ”It’s not yet time for rewards or punishments. We’ll talk about this later.”

Sima Huiniang was momentarily stunned but followed Luo Chen’s gaze toward the distant wasteland.

The second-tier beast general was still alive, indeed, it was not yet the right moment.

”Go assist Zhou Yuanli in mobilizing the cultivators for battle,” Luo Chen instructed.

”The Minor Five Elements Formation can be deactivated. Let the mid stage Qi-Refining cultivators inside the valley come out and gain some battle experience.” Luo Chen issued his orders.

Without hesitation, Sima Huiniang rushed off to execute his orders.

Once she had left, Murong Qinglian stepped closer.

”Does Hall Leader Wang need us to support him?” she asked.

Luo Chen’s gaze flickered as he looked toward the battlefield ten li away.

After a few breaths, he shook his head. ”Focus on handling things here first. He doesn’t need your help over there.”

”Uh...”

Ignoring Murong Qinglian’s confusion, Luo Chen flew onto the city wall.

From his hand, jade essence waste beads rained down like a storm. Each bead exploded upon impact, disrupting the movements of the demonic beasts.

Though their power wasn’t immense, they were enough to disrupt the beasts’ movements. Weaker beasts died instantly, while the stronger ones were quickly overwhelmed by the surrounding cultivators.

Before long, as Sima Huiniang led the mid stage Qi-Refining cultivators of Crescent Moon Valley into battle, the situation completely stabilized.

Barring any unforeseen events, what followed would be nothing but a full-scale slaughter.

Only then did Luo Chen finally relax.

”Now, only that second-tier Explosive Ape remains!”

With a single thought, he recalled his sword orb.

In an instant, a large azure banner slid into his hand.

”Release!”

With a low shout, three azure wooden flood dragons shot out from the city wall, accompanied by the sound of cracking wood.

Luo Chen’s expression remained unchanged as spirit power surged through him. Using his superior artifact-controlling skills, he summoned another three wooden flood dragons.

If the Perfected Mastery Qi-Refining cultivator Qiu Bai were to see this scene, he would surely be so shocked his jaw would drop.

A Perfected Mastery Qi-Refining cultivator had to exert all their strength just to barely summon six wooden flood dragons. Yet Luo Chen had done it effortlessly and judging by the ease he displayed, he could likely summon even more.

Luo Chen stepped forward and landed atop the leading azure spirit flood dragon’s head.

”I leave this place to you all.”

”No one is to approach the battlefield in the wasteland!”

With those words, he rode the six flood dragons, streaking through the air like a celestial warlord descending upon the battlefield.

Meanwhile, on the battlefield, the cultivators’ expressions brimmed with excitement. The President was about to join Battle Hall’s Master Wang to take down the second-tier Explosive Ape!

Among the crowd, Sima Huiniang’s expression wavered between shock and doubt.

Her younger brother, Sima Wenjie, approached, equally astonished.

”Big Brother was right! That supreme-grade artifact really is in the president’s possession!”

The Blue Musk Gathering Serpent Banner, capable of controlling six flood dragons. It also emitted a blue musk fragrance that could hinder a cultivator’s spirit energy circulation. Though not renowned for its offensive power, it was remarkably versatile. Even among supreme-grade artifacts, it was a standout.

Muttering to herself, Sima Huiniang whispered, ”So that means... the one who saved us in North Street’s Third Alley was really the president after all.”

Sima Huiniang’s little brother Wenjie nodded repeatedly. ”There’s no mistake! When the president appeared just now, he used those stone bead hidden weapons, the exact same method he used to break Liu Han’s formation back then.”

When Luo Chen made his entrance earlier, he had thrown thousands of jade essence waste beads. This technique had already become Luo Chen’s signature move.

Sima Wenjie wasn’t foolish, he had quickly gathered information from the others.

During the battle at North Street, his elder brother had been on the brink of death, his second sister seriously injured, and he had been the most conscious of them all.

During the last battle at the Fu family’s fortress, their eldest brother Sima Xian had still been uncertain. Then this time, he could confirm it a hundred times over, no, a thousand times over. It had been Luo Chen who had saved them back then.

His younger brother’s voice echoed in her ears, and her eyes were locked onto the distant figure disappearing into the night.

Sima Huiniang bit her lips tightly, her expression complex as countless thoughts surged through her mind.

Then, she suddenly turned around.

”Stop wasting time! Finish off these beasts quickly and prevent opportunists from taking advantage of the chaos!”

***

”Brother Wang, so you really did end up practicing those blood cultivation techniques!”

Luo Chen stood atop the flood dragon, his gaze fixed on the battlefield in the wasteland.

One man, one ape, neither backed down, exchanging blows relentlessly.

The surging energy of their blood qi spread across, making it almost impossible to breathe. The land within a ten-li radius was now riddled with craters, the earth cracked and fractured.

If the destructive power of a second-tier Explosive Ape alone was astonishing, it was nothing too surprising. After all, this second-tier beast was famed for its sheer destructive might.

Among the various monkey-type demonic beasts, it ranked at the very top.

The reason why Luo Chen’s Blood-Burning pill possessed such explosive power was precisely because its primary ingredient was the blood of the Explosive Ape.

However, the destruction that Wang Yuan unleashed at this moment was anything but ordinary.

Crimson serpents surged from his body in torrents. With every punch he threw, a blood-colored python followed suit. His overwhelming power was so immense that even a second-tier demonic beast struggled to withstand it.

At this moment, their battle was evenly matched.

Is this the power of the second stage of physical refinement? Or is it the fusion of blood cultivation techniques, manifesting in this eerie strength?

Luo Chen could sense that not only was Wang Yuan not falling behind, but his momentum was continuously rising throughout the fight.

Each time those crimson pythons struck the Explosive Ape, whatever remnants remained would burrow into its flesh, devouring it. Then, through a network of smaller serpents, the energy would be funneled back into Wang Yuan’s body. With this give-and-take cycle, Wang Yuan only grew stronger with each passing moment, his presence becoming more fearsome.

”How exhilarating!

”This feels amazing!

”Luo Chen, you don’t need to step in, I can handle this beast myself.”

However, Luo Chen firmly rejected Wang Yuan’s request.

”Don’t get carried away in battle, we must guard against prying eyes.”

Wang Yuan frowned slightly amidst the clash. Yet, he quickly understood the logic behind Luo Chen’s words.

His ability to harness and absorb blood qi had yet to reach Perfection level.

The battle techniques he displayed now exuded a far too overwhelming stench of blood. If righteous cultivators witnessed this, they would undoubtedly denounce him as a heretic and attempt to eradicate him. By then, he could very well end up as a wanted fugitive, forced to scurry through the shadows like a rat.

”Very well, take over!”

Luo Chen nodded slightly and stomped his foot.

The flood dragon beneath him swayed its head and tail, soaring forward. Rather than directly confronting the beast, the six flood dragons circled the battlefield, continuously releasing a mist of blue musk fragrance.

Having been forewarned by Luo Chen, Wang Yuan used a secret technique to prevent himself from inhaling too much of the musk’s scent. Even the small amount that did seep in through his pores was immediately burned away by his surging blood qi.

But the second-tier Explosive Ape did not possess such intelligence.

Roar!

Sensing the interference of a third party, the beast grew even more agitated.

Its enormous, millstone-sized palms swung out repeatedly.

Wang Yuan refused to dodge, instead leaping skyward again and again to meet the blows head-on.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The violent tremors echoed continuously.

Even while merely controlling the Blue Musk Gathering Serpent Banner from a distance, Luo Chen could feel the sheer force of every impact, the raw clash of flesh and bone.

The second stage of physical refinement actually this powerful? In terms of sheer physical strength, it’s entirely on par with the body of a demonic beast!

I wonder what kind of transformations the third stage of body refinement entails. Could it truly extend one’s lifespan?

”I’ve been consistently using essence nurturing liquid and Golden Jade liquid, alongside spirit energy refinement, how far off is my physical strength compared to theirs?

His mind spun with thoughts, but his hands did not falter in their actions.

Under the relentless attacks of the six wooden flood dragons, within mere breaths, the Explosive Ape’s aura began to wither.

Having inhaled too much of the Blue Musk’s poisonous fragrance, its demonic energy could no longer circulate freely. Its movements grew sluggish, and its attacks became feeble.

Sensing imminent death, it let out a thunderous roar. The Explosive Ape bellowed, and rings of blazing red light erupted from its body in rapid succession.

”Careful, it’s going all out!”

Wang Yuan warned but instead of retreating, he advanced.

He sprinted forward, his fingers clenched into a fist, with only his thumb jutting outward.

Under Luo Chen’s Spirit Eyes, Wang Yuan’s thumb moved at lightning speed, pressing into twelve key acupuncture points on his body.

”Is this the upper twelve acupoints of the Divine Breaker of Malevolence?”

In that instant, Luo Chen vaguely grasped its full meaning.

In the next moment, Wang Yuan’s physique suddenly expanded.

Previously standing at two meters, a height still within the realm of normal human proportions but as his thumb continued to press, his body swelled rapidly, soon reaching three meters.

And it showed no sign of stopping.

One zhang, then one and a half zhang.

Finally, it settled at around five meters, a veritable giant.

His rough hemp garment tore apart, revealing massive, sinewy muscles, coiled like ancient tree roots on his adamantium physique. Beneath his Vajra-like body, bones shimmered faintly like white jade.

As he charged forward, his momentum surged like a great river bursting its banks. His blood, thick like liquid mercury, roared within him, unleashing an overwhelming force.

Is he planning to directly clash with the explosive burst of a second-tier demonic beast?

Luo Chen frowned deeply, he realized that once Wang Yuan entered combat, his entire demeanor changed drastically.

In normal times, he had never shown such battle fervor.

Roar!

”Die!”

The beast’s roar and the man’s battle cry erupted simultaneously.

Under Luo Chen’s watchful gaze, the two clashed in an instant.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

A barrage of deafening explosions shook the battlefield.

Their speed was so intense that even with Luo Chen’s Perfected Mastery Spirit Eyes, he could barely keep up.

This was different from a Golden Core cultivator’s vast, large-scale attacks spanning hundreds of li. Instead, every punch and kick concentrated an extreme amount of force.

An ordinary person wouldn’t be able to withstand even a single strike.

Even in Luo Chen’s view, even a Foundation Establishment cultivator would struggle to withstand one or two punches.

”However, the outcome is already decided!” As Luo Chen muttered to himself, the situation on the battlefield suddenly became clear.

Wang Yuan pressed one palm against the massive Explosive Ape, his broad hand slapping down seven times in rapid succession.

”Sevenfold Peaks!”

Boom!

The compressed force erupted seven times in succession, each strike stronger than the last.

In an instant, it was as if seven towering mountains came crashing down.

The Explosive Ape reeled from the heavy blows, stumbling backward.

One step, two steps... seven steps!

After the seventh step, it collapsed to one knee, its entire body covered in wounds and blood.

A gaping hole had been torn through its chest.

”Did we win?”

”No, it still has strength left!” Wang Yuan’s deep voice rang in Luo Chen’s ears.

Luo Chen looked closely and saw a demonic core suddenly emerge from the Explosive Ape’s chest.

A wave of destructive energy surged forth. The Explosive Ape’s massive body shrank rapidly until it was no more than two meters tall.

Without sparing them a glance, it turned and bolted toward the depths of the ancient forest.

”Trying to run?” Luo Chen sneered. He wasn’t just standing around idly.

His moon-white robe fluttered despite the absence of wind. Clouds billowed beneath his feet as he soared into the sky.

The banner in his hand waved continuously, as if stirring the very stars from the sky.

With his movements, six wooden flood dragons roared and streaked toward the Explosive Ape from different angles, quickly overtaking it.

Boom! Boom!

The first two dragons exploded instantly. The force of the blasts halted the Explosive Ape’s escape as the remaining four coiled tightly around its limbs.

A dense cloud of Blue Musk Poisonous Fragrance was released, staining the entire area in a hazy blue mist. The flood dragons exhaled more of the poison, their bodies gradually shrank.

Eventually, they faded into nothingness.

The Explosive Ape collapsed unconscious on the ground.

Only then did Luo Chen turn his attention downward.

Unexpectedly, the demonic core had not managed to self-destruct. Hundreds of tiny, blood-red snakes coiled tightly around the core, sealing it completely.

Wang Yuan, now back to his normal size, grabbed the core in one hand, lifted his head to look at Luo Chen, and grinned widely.

”What the hell are you laughing for? Can you at least put some clothes on?!” Luo Chen cursed, unwilling to spare another glance at the half-naked man, and strode toward the fallen Explosive Ape.

He hadn’t actually killed the creature!

This meant that he and Wang Yuan had successfully captured a second-tier demonic beast alive.