An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

”Three months from now, we will leave Dahe Market!”

The sudden declaration caught everyone completely off guard. Some of those who had just arrived blinked in disbelief, unsure if they’d heard correctly. Confusion spread across their faces like ripples through water.

Qin Liangchen asked in puzzlement, ”Leave Dahe Market? Is it just you, Luo... I mean, President, or are we all going?”

He had meant to say ”Luo Chen,” but unconsciously called him ”President.”

It was a subtle slip, one that might have once sounded strange. Yet now, no one even noticed. No one questioned it.

Luo Chen looked at him calmly and replied, ”It can be just me, or it can be all of us. That depends on your choice.”

The implication was undeniably clear.

Luo Chen was leaving, no matter what.

If the cultivators of the Luo Tian Society were willing, they could follow. If they weren’t, he would not force anyone.

A heavy silence fell over the room as the words settled in. Everyone looked around at one another, wide-eyed and speechless.

”But why?” The voice that broke the silence belonged to Duan Feng, a man who had not appeared in some time.

The once-brash youth had changed over the past three years. Gone was the fire of reckless ambition, replaced with quiet maturity. Even a short beard had grown along his jawline, adding to the calm weight in his voice.

And his question was the one on everyone’s mind.

The Luo Tian Society had come a long way to get where it was. They held both Xiao Huan Mountain and Crescent Moon Valley, two treasured spirit lands.

Their roster had grown to over three hundred cultivators. Their businesses, connections, and territorial holdings were all gradually falling into place.

And now, just like that, leave? Who could accept it? Who would willingly let it go?

Luo Chen’s expression remained calm, even as the weight of his words sank deep into the hearts of everyone present.

”A Ghost King has emerged in the ghost city. Though it is currently suppressed by techniques left behind by a Golden Core cultivator, its release is only a matter of time. By my estimate, it will break free in half a year at the earliest, one year at most.

”Dahe Market... is no longer a place of safety.”

His words sent a collective shock through the crowd. Beneath the initial shock, expressions of horror began to spread.

A Ghost King level entity! Such a being was comparable to a cultivator at the Golden Core Realm of the Dao of Immortality.

Unlike ghostly cultivators who had willingly turned to the ghost path, the Ghost King in Dahe Market was born of hatred and resentment, a spirit formed from vast accumulations of death and yin energy.

Its level of intelligence was uncertain at best. But it harbored an inherent hostility toward all living beings.

If that was truly the case, Dahe Market could no longer even be called a cursed land. It was doomed to become a wasteland of death.

Sima Huiniang gasped, ”Was it... the disturbance in the ghost city yesterday?”

At once, everyone recalled the earth-shaking commotion that had erupted from the ghost city the day before.

At the time, every cultivator near Dahe Market had sensed it.

But eventually, the disturbance faded away. Low-tier rogue cultivators had no way of entering the ghost city to investigate and could only bury their questions deep in their hearts.

Now, it seemed clear, it had been the omen of a Ghost King’s imminent emergence.

When Luo Chen solemnly nodded in confirmation, a wave of quiet despair swept through the hall. If this was true, then they really had no choice but to abandon their homeland of Dahe Market.

Luo Chen remained silent, giving everyone time to let the reality sink in.

His gaze swept across the gathering.

Suddenly, his eyes paused. At the far end of the hall stood a young man he found vaguely familiar, firmly holding Mi Li’s hand.

Luo Chen furrowed his brows slightly and looked away.

Then he spoke directly: ”While I estimate it will take at least six months for that Ghost King to break free, we can’t afford to cut it so close. If we wait too long and it breaks free early, it would be a catastrophe.

”Three months!

”Within three months, we settle all our affairs, depart from Dahe Market, and seek a new place to cultivate.” His voice echoed throughout the hall.

After accepting the reality of the Ghost King’s presence, the initial shock began to fade.

Everyone began to seriously consider what would come next, where they should go. Living as scattered, unsupported rogue cultivators was absolutely not an option.

Now that Luo Chen was willing to bring them along, there was no better path forward.

Hearing Luo Chen’s words, the crowd slowly calmed. With someone to lead them, so many uncertainties suddenly became clear.

Only one question still lingered in everyone’s minds.

Ahem...

Granny Yuan asked in a trembling voice, ”President... where are we going?”

***

”So, you intend to become Dao companions with Mi Li?”

The question, soft and even, echoed through the Grand Hall like a thunderclap in still air.

Only Luo Chen, seated high above, and Qu Lingjun, kneeling on the floor, remained. The calm, understated words fell upon his ears with the weight of a mountain.

Qu Lingjun’s body trembled slightly, but he gritted his teeth and declared firmly, ”That is my wish, Master!”

Luo Chen looked at him coolly. ”How old are you? What’s your realm?”

”This disciple is currently eighteen, at the fifth stage of Qi-Refining.”

Luo Chen’s lips twitched faintly. ”You started cultivation at twelve, it’s been six years, and even with the full support of the Luo Tian Society, you’ve only just reached the fifth stage of Qi-Refining.”

”My aptitude is poor......”

”Since you yourself admit your aptitude is poor...” Luo Chen’s tone darkened ever so slightly, ”then why are you already thinking about matters of love and companionship?”

His voice wasn’t loud, but the words were sharp, cold steel wrapped in silk.

Qu Lingjun flinched. He didn’t dare look up.

He knew all too well what expression he would see on his master’s face, that bitter look of disappointment and frustration.

He lowered his head and said softly, ”Sister Mi Li has always treated me with great kindness. When you entered seclusion after breaking through to Foundation Establishment, she was the one who personally guided me in alchemy. Patiently... earnestly.”

”Over the past three years, my grandfather’s health declined. I couldn’t let you down, so I focused on cultivation and alchemy. Most of the time, it was she who cared for my ailing grandfather.”

”Two years ago, my grandfather passed away. That was my darkest time... and she was the one...”

Old Qu Hancheng has passed on. He wasn’t particularly old. But his early injuries from years of conflict had left him looking worn and frail.

During the explosion in the Alchemy Hall, he’d suffered grave injuries protecting a mid-grade Jade Essence pill.

During Luo Chen’s three years of secluded cultivation, the old man had ultimately succumbed, leaving the world behind. Luo Chen hadn’t even made it in time to see him off.

Qu Lingjun had been raised by his grandfather since he was a child. The depth of sorrow he must have felt at that loss could only be imagined.

Hearing those words, a faint look of helplessness appeared on Luo Chen’s face.

He didn’t interrupt the boy’s words.

In truth, he had not been a proper master.

He had never personally guided Qu Lingjun in cultivation. When it came to alchemy, aside from a few early tests, he had simply handed over a book of pill-refining insights and left the rest to chance.

In comparison, it was Mi Li who had been Qu Lingjun’s true mentor on the path of alchemy.

Though now, Qu Lingjun had already surpassed her. Still, their bond had long since taken the shape of a true master-disciple relationship.

After so many years spent together, even if Mi Li wasn’t conventionally beautiful, it was only natural for a young man to develop feelings. That, more than anything, was what left Luo Chen feeling conflicted.

At such an age, it was hard to say whether such a decision came from rebellion or maturity.

”Master, please give us your blessing!”

At some point, the young man had lifted his head, his gaze steady as he looked up at the man before him.

Luo Chen’s brows furrowed tightly, the sides of his jaw slightly hollowed from tension.

It was a long moment before he finally let out a soft, weary sigh.

”I will ask you three questions. Answer them, then decide.”

”Please ask, Master.”

”Do you truly wish to spend your life with Mi Li? To grow old together, to live and die side by side?”

”If we become Dao companions, then that is what I vow, to hold her hand until the very end.”

”Then let me ask you this: do you still wish to reach Foundation Establishment?”

”From the moment I set foot on the cultivation path, I made that vow. When I became your disciple, it was your encouragement that lit that fire within me. My heart has never wavered from the goal of Foundation Establishment.”

”Good,” Luo Chen said quietly. ”Then one last question, tell me honestly: in your judgment, does Mi Li have the potential to reach Foundation Establishment?”

”She... most likely cannot.”

Luo Chen listened as the boy’s voice fell low. He slowly shook his head.

”She’s over a decade older than you. Her aptitude is poor, and she lacks the resources. If you achieve Foundation Establishment at sixty, your lifespan extends by two hundred. But she will die far before you.

”So how will you grow old together? How will you walk to the end?

”Have you ever imagined... a future where you must personally erect her gravestone?”

***

Inside the Grand Hall, the young man looked as though struck by lightning. His entire body went rigid as he dropped to his knees, eyes blank and dazed.

In that moment of stunned silence, he seemed to see far into the future, a century from now, kneeling before a gravestone he had carved for the woman he loved, planting a tree beside it in her memory.

At his ears, his master’s sigh lingered, echoing like a slow tolling bell.

”You’ve wavered.”

”No, I just...”

He moved his lips, struggling to speak, but the words would not come.

And under Luo Chen’s steady gaze, so deep it seemed to pierce the soul, the clarity in his eyes began to fade.

”It’s natural for a young man to be drawn to affection,” Luo Chen said softly.

”But the Great Dao is a long and lonely road. If your Dao companion cannot keep pace with your steps, how can you speak of growing old together?

”It would be nothing more than a path toward sorrow!”

With a flick of his sleeve, the great doors of the hall slowly swung open.

Outside, dusk had fallen. The sky was painted in a riot of crimson and gold, the clouds like fire, stunningly beautiful, yet fleeting.

There, kneeling alone beyond the threshold, was a solitary figure, small, fragile, utterly alone.

Luo Chen’s heart tightened as he looked at her. She too... is a pitiful soul.

”I will not be the one to tear lovers apart. When you’ve reached the ninth stage of Qi-Refining, then come back, and give me your answer.”

Qu Lingjun opened his mouth, but in the end, could only nod softly. He kowtowed once before Luo Chen, then turned and walked out of the Grand Universe Hall.

Inside, the Grand Hall was silent once more. Luo Chen sat alone on his broad seat, his expression shadowed with complexity, too many emotions to name.

Much of what he had said to Qu Lingjun... was, in truth, a reflection of himself. Through all his years, his progress had been outstanding; no longer the nameless rogue cultivator he once was.

Now he had strength, status, and renown. Female cultivators who admired him were countless. Even Murong Qinglian, his sister-in-law, had once considered matchmaking him with a female cultivator.

Closer to home, there was Gu Caiyi, a true beauty with whom he shared a deep bond.

To say he had never been moved...

That would be a lie.

He was no sage who remained untouched by desire. Before transmigrating, he’d been nothing more than an overworked corporate drone. Even his one attempt at love had fizzled out, snuffed by the crushing weight of big-city housing prices.

Compared to that world, The women of the cultivation world were all kinds of beautiful, each with their own allure, rarely was one truly plain.

Under such temptations, the only thing that kept him chaste... was his unshakable heart for the Great Dao.

Before reaching Foundation Establishment, he had carefully preserved his vital essence. But once he broke through, his perspective expanded all at once, his vision clearer, his heart steadier. He no longer felt the need to chase fleeting moments of warmth or desire.

And so, if he were to rush into a lifetime bond for the sake of beauty or fleeting comfort...

Then, one day, what would await him could well be,

In our courtyard stands a loquat tree, planted by my wife in the year she died. Now it rises tall, wide as a canopy.

He never wanted to see such a scene come to pass. To watch a beloved wither from vibrant youth to silver-haired old age... and then die in his arms.

Even without having experienced it firsthand, he could imagine the pain, and it was not something he wished to endure.

Thus, from the moment he had broken through to Foundation Establishment, he had made a silent vow: ”Unless it is love at first sight, unless I am truly and deeply moved, I will not lightly entertain desire.”

This was his resolve, firm and deliberate. Yet even so, he left himself a sliver of retreat.

After all, love was a strangely powerful force. And when it finally came knocking... who could say if he’d truly be able to resist it?

Luo Chen laughed softly, unburdened.

”In this life, even if I never chase after a demoness or some fairy from a major sect, I should at least find a Dao companion, someone who can walk by my side, step for step!”

***

The rogue cultivators of Dahe Market suddenly noticed something strange.

The Luo Tian Society... seemed to be preparing to leave? Their actions were subtle at first, but soon became impossible to ignore. Medicinal herbs were being sold in bulk, almost dumped onto the market. Low-tier enchanted artifacts, sold by the dozens, went for prices that were nowhere near market value. Even the hunting grounds in the Ancient Plains that they had claimed over the past few years were being sold off to local minor factions. Then came the most startling sign of all, the Crescent Moon Valley, which they had managed for years, had its defensive formation dismantled, clearly ready to be abandoned at any time.

These moves made the rogue cultivators of the region restless. Those with keen insight began linking all this to the strange upheaval that had occurred recently in the ghost city.

They too... realized that something was wrong.

Meanwhile, atop Xiao Huan Mountain, an alchemy demonstration was in full swing. Though they called it an alchemy ”grand gathering”, the only demonstrators were actually just Luo Chen, Qu Lingjun, and Mi Li.

”Watch closely. The key to refining a Jade Essence pill lies in the handling of the primary ingredient.

”To process Washed Jade, one must use the alchemy technique known as Jade Fracture.

”Focus on what I’m about to do!”

In the large alchemy room, The earth fire roared as Luo Chen stood before the cauldron, his hands flitting like butterflies weaving through flowers.

Streams of spirit energy, guided by his fingers, slowly seeped into the natural fissures of the Washed Jade.

Beside him, Qu Lingjun and Mi Li watched with rapt attention, eyes wide and unblinking.

To anyone unfamiliar with their relationship, it might have looked strange,

Luo Chen teaching Qu Lingjun made sense. It was standard master-disciple tradition.

But why should Mi Li, an ”outsider”, be worthy of such a demonstration?

This was Luo Chen’s gesture of repaying a favor.

Mi Li had taught Qu Lingjun in his stead for many years, her effort and merit were undeniable. But her own alchemical aptitude had held her back, she could only craft simple fasting concoctions.

As a result, her compensation had remained modest over the years. But if she could absorb even a sliver of insight from Luo Chen’s demonstration, it would be a tremendous gain.

If she could eventually refine a first-tier pill on her own, that would be ideal. And even if she couldn’t, simply being able to assist Qu Lingjun more effectively would be enough to justify improving her position and pay.

Glancing at them from the corner of his eye, Luo Chen sighed inwardly.

She is someone Lingjun treasures... and back then, Mi Shuhua did show me considerable kindness. If I can ensure Mi Li lives a little more comfortably, I’ll have no regrets.

Once the demonstration concluded, Luo Chen stepped back.

He left the final step of pill consolidation entirely in Qu Lingjun’s hands.

”Master!

”Forty pills formed, all top-grade!” Qu Lingjun was overjoyed, holding the wooden tray in reverence, his eyes shining with pure admiration.

This was his master!

With a single attempt, he could casually produce top-grade pills. Even among master-level alchemists, few could boast such precision and consistency!

Compared to him, he was still far, far behind.

Beside him, Mi Li gazed at Luo Chen with undisguised awe.

This was Luo Chen! This was Dan Chenzi!

Every time he acted, he left those around him in awe. It had been the same when he refined the fasting concoctions, the same when he produced top-grade Myriad Wonders pills.

And now even the prized Jade Essence pill, crafted effortlessly!

Luo Chen waved his hand dismissively, unconcerned by their admiration.

Instead, he turned a serious gaze toward Qu Lingjun.

At this moment, the boy looked less like the mature disciple he had tried to be, and more like someone burning with pure passion for the alchemical path.

”How much did you learn?”