An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Atop a verdant mountain, white clouds drifted lazily on the breeze. The scent of tea lingered in the air, weaving gently between two figures seated in quiet contemplation.

Luo Chen and Nangong Jin faced one another across a simple stone table. Steam curled from their teacups, carrying the warmth of freshly brewed leaves. The silence between them was comfortable, almost serene, but the faint look of astonishment on Nangong Jin’s face betrayed the storm of thoughts in his mind.

”You really succeeded?” he asked at last, the disbelief still clinging to his voice.

There was a thread of incredulity in his tone.

Luo Chen smiled faintly, as if the question amused him. He gently blew the steam from his tea and took a slow, unhurried sip.

”Hah... Fellow Daoist, you can see it, how could it be fake?”

Even as he spoke, a sudden wave of spirit consciousness burst from him, sharp and unrestrained.

Nangong Jin’s expression immediately turned serious. Without hesitation, he released his own spirit consciousness in response.

In an instant, their soul forces collided, a brief but potent clash, and then, just as quickly, they both withdrew.

Hmph! Nangong Jin let out a low grunt, his face paling for a heartbeat before steadying. His eyes, wide with surprise, locked onto Luo Chen.

”Just stepping into Foundation Establishment, yet your divine soul foundation is this profound!”

Luo Chen offered a polite, apologetic smile. “Apologies, Fellow Daoist. My realm has yet to fully stabilize. I couldn’t quite rein in the edge, please forgive the offense.”

Waving the apology away, Nangong Jin chuckled dryly. “No offense taken.”

That brief clash had been nothing more than a spiritual handshake.

That brief confrontation had been nothing more than a test of strength, a subtle contest between their divine souls. No weapons, no hostility, just a spirit handshake between peers. And yet...

What truly shocked him was that Luo Chen, having just reached Foundation Establishment, possessed such robust spirit power.

The projection of spirit consciousness was a direct extension of one’s soul.

Such overwhelming spirit consciousness could only mean Luo Chen’s soul foundation far exceeded that of his peers.

Nangong Jin gave a bitter smile. ”No wonder you succeeded in one attempt. I imagine your soul had already been fully formed back during Qi-Refining.

“In that case, when the time came to break through, you would have been able to guide your internal energy with perfect precision. You could strike the barrier of the dantian with complete control.”

Yes, that was the only explanation.

Otherwise, how could Luo Chen leap so effortlessly to this stage?

After all, many elite rogue cultivators and sect disciples often found themselves overwhelmed by the violent medicinal power when attempting Foundation Establishment.

At such a time, how could they break through the dantian’s barrier, let alone reform their Dao foundation?

Even if they managed to break through by chance, They would often fail to contain the chaotic flood of spirit energy in time, suffering serious internal damage.

Luo Chen only smiled, though he sighed inwardly.

If only it had been that simple.

He had arrived here only through repeated failures.

Indeed, a powerful soul foundation had served him well.

Without such a resilient soul, he wouldn’t have been able to endure successive doses of Foundation Establishment pills and Imperial Nectar.

Moreover, beyond his divine soul, his robust physique had also been crucial to his success.

Ordinary cultivators could harm their bodies with just one breakthrough attempt.

But for years, he had steadily consumed essence nurturing liquid, Golden Jade Liquid, demonic beast meat, and spirit rice without pause.

Thus, he had developed a powerful physique.

By Wang Yuan’s standards, Luo Chen had nearly reached the Vajra Physique.

In other words, he was close to perfecting the first-tier of physical refinement.

With both aspects combined, and reinforced by the repeated infusion of Foundation Establishment pills and Imperial Nectar,

He had exceeded the thresholds of spirit power, soul, and body, all three barriers.

It was only natural that he had succeeded in one go!

If Nangong Jin knew Luo Chen had burned through five whole sets of Foundation Establishment materials in one stretch, he’d probably curse aloud, “No wonder he succeeded!”

Of course, Luo Chen had no intention of revealing any of this to Nangong Jin.

He had another matter troubling him now.

”Fellow Daoist, do you by chance possess the Medicine King Codex of Yimu[1]?”

”The Medicine King Codex of Yimu?” Nangong Jin raised an eyebrow, then realized something. ”You haven’t acquired your second-tier core cultivation technique?”

Seeing Luo Chen nod he frowned. ”That’s strange. As a Foundation Establishment clan with three hundred years of history, the Duan family must’ve had such techniques in their archives.”

”They do exist,” Luo Chen replied, a trace of frustration on his face, ”but unfortunately, they don’t suit me.”

The Duan family’s library did, in fact, hold three second-tier techniques.

Ocean-Severing Wave

Unified Ding-Fire[2]

Nether Spring Darkfire

Both Duan Qiankun and Duan Feng had cultivated the Duan family’s two signature techniques.

As for the third, Nether Spring Darkfire, it had been specially acquired by Duan Qiankun for his grandson, Duan Rui. It was said that this technique allowed dual cultivation of both water and fire attributes, granting unmatched battle prowess.

With Luo Chen’s five-element spirit root, switching to any of the three wasn’t truly an issue.

In particular, Nether Spring Darkfire, if mastered, would dramatically enhance Luo Chen’s combat strength. Due to the system’s aid, he wasn’t concerned about whether the technique would suit him. As long as he raised its proficiency, it would gradually harmonize with his body.

What kept Luo Chen from deciding, however, was the Long Spring Art! This technique had already reached Perfected Mastery. If it could transition seamlessly into the Medicine King Codex of Yimu, it would save him considerable foundational buildup.

A smooth, accelerated entry into the next tier of cultivation would be guaranteed.

But if he switched to a completely different-attribute technique like Nether Spring Darkfire, getting started would be an uphill climb. He had no idea how much time it would cost.

Thus, after much deliberation, he still leaned toward the Medicine King Codex of Yimu.

If Luo Chen had asked this question in the past, Nangong Jin would likely have rejected him outright.

But now? Things had changed.

Luo Chen had broken through to Foundation Establishment, they now stood as peers. And within Luo Tian Society, there was still the second-tier Explosive Ape... not to mention Wang Yuan, who could go head-to-head with Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Such a lineup was enough to give even Nangong Jin pause.

He tapped a finger on the table, thinking. A glint sparked in his eyes.

“I don’t have that particular codex,” he said after a moment. “After all, the Nangong family comes from Snow Lotus Market. Most of the cultivation techniques we pass down lean toward water, ice, or wind elements.

”However, here in Dahe Market, there might be someone who has what you seek.”

Luo Chen’s eyes lit up. “Who?”

”Li Yixian,” Nangong Jin said slowly, spitting out the name.

”Li Yixian?”

Luo Chen murmured the name aloud, remembering the mysterious female Foundation Establishment cultivator whose true face had never been seen.

***

The meeting with Nangong Jin had lasted only until dusk, after which Luo Chen excused himself under the pretense of needing seclusion to stabilize his cultivation.

Before parting, however, he informed Nangong Jin that his Foundation Establishment Ceremony would be held in three days and personally invited him to attend as an honored guest.

Nangong Jin naturally agreed, even promising to help contact Li Yixian on Luo Chen’s behalf. Whether that effort would bear fruit, of course, would depend on what Luo Chen could offer, and on Li Yixian’s willingness to accept.

Not long after Nangong Jin’s departure, another figure ascended the mountain, dragging a length of crimson chain behind him and hoisting two large wine gourds.

“Drinking wine really is better than sipping tea!” Wang Yuan declared with a wide grin.

In front of a true friend, Luo Chen shed his afternoon’s dignified composure. No longer the sage-like cultivator hosting solemn guests, he lounged lazily in his chair, watching the clouds swirl above the distant horizon as birds returned to their nests.

Wang Yuan raised his gourd. “Congratulations!”

“Hehe, likewise!” Luo Chen chuckled, lifting his own and clinked it against Wang Yuan’s.

His words weren’t spoken out of courtesy, they carried genuine meaning. With his heightened perception, Luo Chen could now clearly perceive Wang Yuan’s condition.

The once-unstable spirit fluctuations that had plagued him were now settled, refined and firm at the Perfected Mastery of Qi-Refining. While he hadn’t reached the Foundation Establishment, Wang Yuan had gained a stable foundation for battle.

”Speaking of, Brother Wang,” Luo Chen said with a half-smile, “Now that you’ve reached the peak, shouldn’t you try Foundation Establishment with a pill?”

But to this, Wang Yuan simply shook his head. He lowered the wine gourd and sighed. “Once I set foot on the path of blood path Foundation Establishment, there’s no turning back.”

“You mean... that’s really your only option?” Luo Chen asked, surprised.

Wang Yuan nodded. “Yeah. And I’ve only got two more tries left.”

Silence settled over them for a moment. They both knew exactly what Luo Chen had meant. The ”method” he referred to was the Blood Fiend Seizing Array that Wang Yuan had once fused with, an unorthodox and brutal technique that could vault a cultivator essence directly into Foundation Establishment in one explosive leap.

However, the technique carried immense flaws, its first failure had already left severe side effects. Though Wang Yuan appeared fine, the chain running through his body proved otherwise.

The Soul Stabilizing Oath, in the end, was merely a safeguard, a way for Wang Yuan to maintain clarity of mind and prevent Duan Qiankun’s lingering soul from interfering. It wasn’t a true solution. To resolve the issue at its root, Foundation Establishment was necessary.

But the Blood Fiend Seizing Array offered only three chances. Wang Yuan had already failed once. If he failed the remaining two...

“Let’s just say, shortcuts always come with risks,” Wang Yuan said quietly, his tone calm but weighted with experience.

He turned his gaze to Luo Chen, who now radiated strength and his spirit power sharp and unrestrained. “Don’t repeat my mistakes,” he warned. “Every step must be taken with solid footing.”

Luo Chen nodded gravely. He understood that truth all too well.

Wang Yuan had tried to leap ahead and paid the price. And Luo Chen? His entire path up to this point had been paved with shortcuts, pills, elixirs, and countless spirit stones spent to bypass years, even decades, of cultivation. But the cost had caught up to him. The toxic pill barrier lingering at the edge of his dantian was the price of that convenience.

Until he found a way to purge that hidden danger, he couldn’t afford to take any more pills. Not recklessly. Besides, his top priority now was not rapid cultivation, but solidifying his foundation.

”After the Foundation Establishment Ceremony, I’ll go into seclusion for a while to stabilize my realm.

”I’ll have to trouble you, Brother Wang, to keep an eye on Luo Tian Society for me.”

Wang Yuan gave a slight nod, there was no hesitation. It was only natural.

Besides, such trivial matters rarely made their way to him now.

Besides, most of the daily burdens of leadership didn’t fall to him anymore. With Sima Huiniang, Murong Qinglian, Gu Caiyi, and others handling the day-to-day affairs, his role was to be the calm, steady anchor, the unshakable pillar that held everything together.

And Luo Tian Society now had more than just him to serve that role.

Luo Chen, now a true Foundation Establishment Initiate!

That title alone carried weight. Just the name would make others think twice.

”Not planning to see Qin Liangchen and the others?”

Luo Chen shook his head. ”Not yet. I can’t leave the green thatched hut for the next few days.”

Fair enough.

Though he had successfully broken through, his spirit state remained unstable. Seeing this, Wang Yuan didn’t linger. After exchanging a few final words, he turned and made his way down the mountain.

Luo Chen watched him go, the silhouette gradually swallowed by the deepening night. He let out a quiet sigh.

Perhaps, for Wang Yuan too, the next few years would be a rare stretch of peaceful cultivation.

Their conversation just now had made something clear, Wang Yuan was no longer the fiery, headstrong youth of old. There was a calmness in him now, a deeper kind of resolve that came only with hardship.

1. 乙木药王经, also known as the Medicine King Codex of Yimu, is an alchemical manual centered on the aspect of the wood-element (乙木). In traditional Chinese metaphysics, 乙木 represents flexible, life-nurturing energy, akin to vines or young bamboo and is associated with vitality, internal growth, and the gentle regulation of qi. The codex is believed to contain wood-element formulas and cultivation techniques that harmonize such wood-element spiritenergies with the cultivator’s cultivation path. ☜

2. 丁火 (Dīng Huǒ) is one of the Ten Heavenly Stems (天干) in traditional Chinese metaphysics, specifically representing the yin aspect of fire. In the Five Elements (五行, Wǔxíng) system, it corresponds to fire and is often associated with soft, flickering flames like candlelight, symbolizing refinement, intellect, inspiration, and emotional warmth. 丁火 is also used in BaZi (Four Pillars of Destiny) to analyze a person’s personality, fate, and elemental balance. In cultivation fiction, 丁火 often represents an inner flame, delicate yet potent, capable of igniting great transformations when properly nurtured. ☜

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