An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

”Everything has been recorded,” Murong Qinglian said calmly. ”For now, your compensation will follow the standard for a ninth stage Qi-Refining cultivator. It’s not much, just three hundred spirit stones and one bottle of Dust Transformation pills per month.”

Min Longyu’s eyes widened in disbelief. Not much?

Though he had recently earned a decent fortune by scavenging the battlefield at the Gaoling Plains, even that failed in comparison to what he is hearing now. This so-called basic treatment was far better than anything the Dajiang Gang had ever offered. From the way Hall Leader Murong spoke, it sounded like this was merely the starting point; there was only room for growth, not cuts.

Shaking his head in awe, he muttered, ”I’d long heard that Senior Dan Chenzi treats his people well, but I never imagined even the base salary would be this generous.”

Murong Qinglian tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and chuckled. ”Naturally. If you take on a role like steward, elder, or even a hall leader like me, your benefits will increase accordingly.”

”Oh?” Min Longyu’s interest piqued.

Murong Qinglian was sharp, capable, and poised. She had long been a staunch supporter of her husband, Qin Liangchen, and back during their days in the Poshan Gang, she had steadily risen to take full command of the Medicine Hall. Within the Luo Tian Society, she held the position of leader of the Merit Hall, overseeing personnel assignments and evaluating contributions.

With years of experience, she had grown into a worldly and astute individual, well-versed in the nuances of people and power.

It wasn’t hard for her to see through Luo Chen’s thinking. Luo Chen hadn’t accepted Min Longyu into the Luo Tian Society because he was the kind to forgive and forget. While he did not let past grudges cloud his judgment, he certainly remembered them. Neither had he done it because of Min Longyu’s cultivation; Perfected Mastery in the Qi-Refining Realm was impressive, it fell short of Luo Chen’s or Wang Yuan’s strength.

What truly set Min Longyu apart was his exceptional talent in formations, something he had demonstrated more than once. For now, Luo Chen gave him no formal position and mentioned no salary; it was not out of disregard, but as a test of character.

There was no doubt that in the future, Min Longyu would be given an important role.

Murong Qinglian, always quick to grasp the situation, had no problem lending her support to Luo Chen’s strategy. Generous benefits were the perfect bait.

”Take me for example!” Murong Qinglian smiled slightly. ”As a Hall Leader, I receive five hundred spirit stones monthly. In addition to a bottle of Dust Transformation pills, I also get a box of calming incense and a special portion of essence nurturing liquid.”

”I know about Dust Transformation pills and calming incense; they’re perfect for ninth stage Qi-Refining cultivators,” Min Longyu nodded. Then he asked curiously, ”But what is this essence nurturing liquid?”

He had heard of such products on the market, but the generic kind surely wouldn’t warrant a special mention in someone’s monthly pay! And just as expected, Murong Qinglian’s next words left him stunned.

”This essence nurturing liquid was specially refined by the president himself, based on the alchemical formulas available on the market. It has remarkable nourishing effects on a cultivator’s blood essence, physique, and meridians. With long-term use in medicinal baths, it’s highly beneficial for achieving Foundation Establishment!”

Min Longyu’s eyes lit up. He had always believed that he was thoroughly prepared for Foundation Establishment. Whether it was his purified spirit power or his divine soul’s foundation, he was outstanding among his peers. The only problem was his physique; for that part, he had no effective method.

The standard medicines sold on the market only benefited early or mid stage cultivators. For someone like Min Longyu, at Perfected Mastery of Qi-Refining, they were useless. If he could obtain this essence nurturing liquid from Luo Chen, wouldn’t it push his breakthrough preparation even further?

Min Longyu gazed at Murong Qinglian with envy. ”I wonder when I might be fortunate enough to enjoy such medicine created by Senior Dan Chenzi.”

Murong Qinglian gave him a half-smile. ”If all you want is the essence nurturing liquid, it’s not difficult at all.”

”Oh? What do you mean by that?” Min Longyu’s heart skipped a beat.

Murong Qinglian explained, ”It’s simple. Once you’re a member of the Luo Tian Society, there’s a merit-based system. If you accumulate enough merit, you can exchange it for the essence nurturing liquid through Steward Sima Wenjie of the Merit Hall.”

”Merit?” Min Longyu muttered under his breath.

He was a man with a strong sense of purpose, and he was especially decisive in taking action. When his family was of no use, he followed Zhou Qing and traveled far to Tianlan. When Wang Haichao proved unkind, he abandoned him without hesitation.

Now he had sworn the Great Dao Oath and joined the Luo Tian Society under Luo Chen. Everything he did was for the sake of achieving Foundation Establishment. So naturally, he could not let go of something that would help him reach that goal.

Murong Qinglian continued, ”Earning merit isn’t hard. Just do what you’re good at, help the Luo Tian Society when and where you can, and your contributions will accumulate. For example, planting herbs for the Medicine Hall, refining pills for the Alchemy Hall, forging artifacts for the Artifact Hall...”

Min Longyu’s eyes lit up as he recalled Luo Chen’s earlier instructions. ”I heard from Senior Dan Chenzi that the formations of the Skyhawk Flying Boat were seriously damaged.”

He’s catching on! Murong Qinglian thought and said with a bright smile. ”Exactly, we urgently need your expertise.”

Min Longyu thumped his chest with conviction. ”If it’s within my ability, I won’t shirk it!”

Repairing the formation on a top-grade flying boat? That was well within his capabilities. With confidence in his stride, he turned to leave and begin earning merit immediately.

But Murong Qinglian stopped him. ”Now that you’re one of us, the Artifact Hall will soon craft your identity token. From now on... don’t call him Senior Dan Chenzi anymore.”

Seeing the meaningful look in her eyes, Min Longyu was momentarily stunned.

Then he nodded solemnly. ”Of course. Since the president has accepted me, I will not let him down!”

With that, he turned and left.

Murong Qinglian smiled faintly and put away the registry scroll. After all that had happened recently, the Luo Tian Society had once again undergone a quiet cleanse, not through a cruel purge but by shedding the weak and keeping the strong.

The cultivators who remained had developed a formidable sense of unity. Their cohesion likely surpassed that of many smaller sects. After all, they had fought through one battle after another, supporting one another to survive. Even rogue cultivators who once had personal grudges had begun to truly identify as members of the Luo Tian Society.

The society still had a glaring weakness when it came to formations; after all, Duan Feng was more of an artifact maker, and he couldn’t really be called proficient in formations. Min Longyu’s arrival would patch that gap.

”If he can succeed in reaching Foundation Establishment, it’ll undoubtedly be a blessing for the Luo Tian Society. Murong Qinglian frowned slightly. Her thoughts drifted. The Foundation Establishment... the Foundation Establishment pill... Could it be that the Foundation Establishment pill Luo Chen had was meant for Min Longyu? But if that is the case, doesn’t it go against what he promised earlier?

There had to be an order to things, whether by merit or seniority. Fair reward and punishment were essential. If he acted otherwise, it might damage Luo Chen’s standing in the eyes of the society’s senior cultivators.

No, wait! What am I thinking? He’s the president. Who he gives it to is entirely up to him. There’s no point overthinking it...

Shaking her head, Murong Qinglian chose not to dwell on it.

Yet in her heart, she made a quiet decision. She would push her cultivation to Perfected Mastery in the Qi-Refining Realm as quickly as possible, then she could make her claim for that Foundation Establishment pill.

As for the one the Qin family already possessed, she had never even considered it. That was meant for her husband, Qin Liangchen!

***

Min Longyu had joined the Luo Tian Society!

Word of this spread swiftly among the Luo Tian Society’s cultivators.

The moment he joined, he immediately started roaming the flying boat daily, leading several senior Artifact Hall cultivators in restoring its formations. He even went so far as to pay out of his own pocket to rebuild a new Azure Gale Formation for the Skyhawk Flying Boat.

The Azure Gale Formation was a defensive formation that linked with the existing wind-control formation to generate a barrier of wind. Its defensive power surpassed that of the original formation.

For the lower-tier cultivators, this was a welcome development. The better the flying boat’s defenses, the safer their journey would be. At the very least, it would prevent a repeat of what had happened over the Gaoling Plains, when a Foundation Establishment cultivator came crashing from the sky.

But to the other ninth-stage Qi-Refining experts in the Luo Tian Society, it wasn’t such a good thing.

He is a threat!

Min Longyu had just joined, and yet he was already so proactive. Was it because he had fallen in love with this rogue cultivator faction? Obviously not! Everyone knew he was doing it to win Luo Chen’s favor, for the sake of that Foundation Establishment pill!

Having already reached Perfected Mastery in the Qi-Refining Realm, Min Longyu desperately needed that pill to break through. But how could that pill be given to him just like that? After all, Luo Chen had already promised that Foundation Establishment pill to them. It was only a matter of time before they reached the Perfected Mastery of the Qi-Refining Realm, yet.

Not everyone had Murong Qinglian’s unshakable faith in Luo Chen. Alongside their reverence for Luo Chen, everyone harbored private ambitions. This wasn’t due to a lack of virtue or morality; it was simply human nature to take care of one’s own interests.

In such circumstances, the ninth-stage Qi-Refining experts of the Luo Tian Society began to harbor subtle hostility toward Min Longyu.

Within his quiet chamber, Luo Chen naturally remained unaware of any of this. And even if he did know, he’d merely smile and dismiss it. He had already made it clear to Min Longyu that the Foundation Establishment pill wasn’t for him. If needed, Luo Chen could publicly state the truth and silence all such whispers.

But there was no need!

That tempting bait could foster a healthy sense of competition and drive his people to work harder. The Luo Tian Society still had far too few Foundation Establishment experts! If he could nurture just a few more, Luo Chen wouldn’t have to shoulder so much himself.

Besides, with Foundation Establishment cultivators like Li Yixian and Nangong Jin present, there was no need for him to go out of his way to win them over. What he lacked now was rising stars.

Five days had passed since leaving the Gaoling Plains.

Inside the meditation chamber, Luo Chen’s eyes snapped open, his Spirit Eyes pushed to their limits. He stared fixedly at the storage pouch before him, his spirit consciousness weaving in and out like shuttle thread, probing it over and over again.

Suddenly, a ripple stirred in Luo Chen’s heart as a sliver of spirit sense slipped into the pouch.

From the inside out, the restrictions unraveled inch by inch!

A faint smile curved his lips. ”I’ve finally broken through that old bastard Duan Qiankun’s spirit consciousness restriction.”

Luo Chen rubbed his brow, weary but deeply satisfied.

It had been six or seven years since obtaining this item. After reaching Foundation Establishment, he had spent the past three and a half years casually wearing down the restriction whenever he had spare time. Only now had he finally managed to unlock it.

He didn’t rush to check what was inside.

Instead, Luo Chen took a moment to calm his mind, directing his spirit consciousness toward one of his own storage pouches. Infusing it with spirit power, a tiny restriction began to form with remarkable ease.

Seeing this, Luo Chen grinned. He had no idea what was actually inside that pouch, but in the process of unlocking it, he had gotten much better with basic restriction techniques and far more adept at using his spirit consciousness.

At this point, if I wanted to study formations, I could probably pick them up with ease.

It sounded arrogant, but it was the plain truth. Luo Chen always had a strong divine soul foundation and had thoroughly studied the texts about foundational spirit consciousness that Gao Tingyuan had obtained from the Soul-Refining Hermit. Later, in his pursuit of mastering Fireball, he had picked up some basic talisman knowledge. And now, thanks to his ”instructor,” Duan Qiankun, these three years of gradual effort had yielded good progress.

Still, this was only the beginning. To truly master this path across countless forms of restrictions and the complexities of weaving them into formations would demand a lifetime of persistence and study. Luo Chen had no intention of walking that path too far.

”Now then, let’s see what treasures the patriarch of the Duan family left behind in this pouch!”