An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

With the Divine Craftsman Sect and the Geng family retreating, it was now official that Danxia Peak had a new owner. From that moment on, the rogue cultivators who had squatted there for years were forced to seek new spirit lands. Meanwhile, within the peak, the cultivators of the Luo Tian Society threw themselves into work.

Min Longyu led a group to survey the entire mountain, attempting to set up great formations and restore the Min family’s long-lost formation legacy. Granny Yuan and Yuan Dongsheng, the grandmother and grandson duo at the helm of the Medicine Hall, also grew increasingly busy on the mountain.

Danxia Peak had once held several hundred first-tier spirit fields, ideal for cultivating both medicinal herbs and spirit rice. Unfortunately, after a hundred years of neglect and the damage wrought by rogue cultivators, the number of first-tier fields had plummeted to just over a hundred. Even among those remaining, many suffered from insufficient spirit energy and were at risk of degrading in tier.

After inspecting them, Granny Yuan was truly heartbroken. In recent days, she had personally led the Medicine Hall cultivators through the spirit fields. Those that had retained their grading, she had cleared of all existing crops and replanted with the Luo Tian Society’s commonly used basic spirit herbs.

As for the fields that had fallen into common fertile soil, she had refused to abandon them. She had first cast the Bing Fire Scorching, burning down piles of felled azure oaks into ash, and burying the ashes in the fields. Then she had requested a thousand spirit stones from Sima Huiniang and made a special trip to Tianlan Immortal City. There, she had purchased a spirit herb seed called Sky Silkworm Cloud Beans. Upon returning, she had sown the seeds across those common fields.

Granny Yuan began, ”All we need is to plant the Sky Silkworm Cloud Beans in rotation for three years and complement it with the Gui Water Composting Method. With all three methods combined, in three years, these spirit fields can be restored to first-tier quality. What a waste it had been to let such excellent spirit fields go unused!

”Rogue cultivators rarely manage spirit fields for long. But nearly all sects aggressively cultivate spirit lands to grow spirit plants. They may seem unremarkable, but these fields are crucial foundational resources for any sect.”

She had said all this to Luo Chen. Seeing his curiosity, she had taken the time to explain everything patiently.

After listening, Luo Chen couldn’t help but sigh in admiration. So the art of spirit planting was vast and profound as well. The ashes of azure oaks could actually enrich the soil? If the Alchemy Hall ever produces large amounts of azure oak ashes, we might as well find a way to put them to good use.

His gaze fell on Granny Yuan. Her back was hunched, and she wore a gentle smile as she watched Yuan Dongsheng toiling in the field. She had once been energetic and full of vitality, but now, after so many years, she had aged to the point of near frailty.

The recent journey from Taishan Market to Tianlan Immortal City, coupled with the brutal fighting they had endured, had left her even more worn. Her hair was white, and her body hunched over. Standing there, she seemed like a candle flickering in the wind.

He wondered how many more years she could continue on like this.

Perhaps sensing Luo Chen’s look of sympathy, Granny Yuan had slowly said, ”President, are you wondering how many years I have left?”

Luo Chen had given a soft hum in reply, curious how she had guessed what was on his mind.

She had smiled kindly. ”In recent years, you’re not the first to ask. Dongsheng has been nagging me to rest too, saying he can handle all this on his own. But how could I possibly feel at ease?”

She had turned around and looked up at Luo Chen. ”To be honest with you, I likely have at most one or two years left.”

Even though he had somewhat expected it, Luo Chen had still been shocked. ”In that case, you should stop working and spend your remaining days in peace.”

But Granny Yuan shook her head. ”No need. I’ve lived long enough to have had my fill of rest. All I want now is to pass on everything I’ve learned to that boy, Dongsheng.

”He’s more or less learned everything already. What he lacks is experience. As for the spells used in spirit planting, other than the second-tier Bing Fire Scorching and Grass-Cutting Geng Metal, he’s already mastered the rest with great proficiency.”

***

As she rambled on, she alternated between praising and scolding Yuan Dongsheng, yet every word was filled with earnest hope. All of a sudden, she turned her appeal toward Luo Chen.

”President, could you promise me one thing?” Granny Yuan asked.

Luo Chen’s expression turned solemn. ”Speak freely. If it’s within my power, I will give it my all!”

This wasn’t an empty promise. It was a sincere commitment from the depths of his heart. Though Granny Yuan wasn’t someone he was close to, she had been silently supporting him ever since the founding of the Luo Tian Society. From the early days of the Alchemy Hall, all the way to the Medicine Hall. Even now, at Danxia Peak, she continued to devote herself to restoring every last spirit field.

If the former glory of a hundred years ago could truly be restored in three years, then just those hundreds of spirit fields alone would serve as a formidable foundation for the Luo Tian Society. She had truly given it her all.

Granny Yuan smiled and shook her head. ”No need for you to go to such lengths, President. It’s actually a simple matter.”

She pointed toward Yuan Dongsheng, still bent over in the fields. ”That child of mine never says it out loud, but deep down he has always yearned to pursue the Great Dao. But he’s not young anymore, and frankly, his aptitude is lacking.

”So, I ask that if he still hasn’t reached Foundation Establishment by the age of sixty, you help find him a Dao companion. The Yuan family bloodline must not end!”

Luo Chen’s lips parted slightly. He had never expected such a heartfelt and solemn request to be this simple. Meeting her hopeful gaze, he took a deep breath and gave a firm nod. ”Rest assured, I won’t forget this matter.”

”Good, good. I thank you, President.”

Seeing her about to bow, Luo Chen quickly supported her hand. He couldn’t accept such a grand gesture, and all this had nothing to do with cultivation realms.

***

It was not just Min Longyu, Granny Yuan, and the others who kept themselves busy within the Luo Tian Society. The Alchemy Hall, Artifact Hall, Gold Hall, and even the Battle Hall all had their own duties.

Under the leadership of Sima Xian, the Battle Hall undertook large-scale construction efforts on Danxia Peak. They either tore down the old structures or leveled out the randomly dug-out cave residences on the cliffs. Then, under Murong Qinglian’s instructions, they began rebuilding entirely new facilities. The main complex was positioned along the sun-facing side of Danxia Peak, its layers of buildings gradually forming in neat, orderly succession.

It would still take time before the full design took shape, but Luo Chen had already seen the construction plans. Once complete, the Luo Tian Society would shed its former image as a petty rogue faction and stand as a proper sect-like organization with a clear hierarchy and system.

On the other hand, the Alchemy Hall’s task was quite straightforward. Luo Chen had decided to use this opportunity to train Qu Lingjun. Hence, he had Lingjun lead the Alchemy Hall cultivators to reclaim the earth fire caves beneath Danxia Peak. The previous arrangements made by the Divine Craftsman Sect and the Geng Family had been far too hasty, purely driven by profit. What Luo Chen wanted was a refined earth fire alchemy room, one capable of supporting both his own pill refinement and the Luo Tian Society’s needs.

This would be Qu Lingjun’s true test. To that end, Tang Quan, Mi Li, and several other juniors were assigned under his command, with permission to request additional manpower from Sima Huiniang if needed.

The Artifact Hall and the Gold Hall, however, had only one mission. To restore the Biyou Valley. Even before they settled at Danxia Peak, Luo Chen and Sima Huiniang had visited and assessed it. At the time, they had clearly seen that Biyou Valley already bore the early signs of a small marketplace, and the foot traffic there wasn’t insignificant. If it could be fully developed, it might become a new and steady source of revenue for the Luo Tian Society.

To support this, Luo Chen entrusted Gu Caiyi with his final batch of top-grade Jade Essence pills.

”Selling pills is secondary!” Luo Chen said firmly, gazing at the increasingly stunning young woman before him. ”Your task is to find out the full market standing of Jade Essence pills in Tianlan Immortal City! Not just the pricing and popularity, but also our competitors.”

Gu Caiyi asked curiously, ”Competitors? The qi-nourishing pills from the Spirit Herb Pavilion?”

Luo Chen shook his head. ”Not just those.”

She paused, then quickly grasped his meaning. Unlike Dahe Market, where the Spirit Herb Pavilion had been the sole seller of pills, Tianlan Immortal City had far more players in the trade. On the upper end, there were major forces like the Spirit Herb Pavilion and the Green Pill Valley. On the smaller end, there were countless cultivation families. In between, numerous sects and factions sold their own proprietary pills. Even minor sects like the Divine Craftsman Sect, whose main trade was repairing enchanted artifacts, claimed to hold exclusive medicinal formulas.

The city’s sheer number of cultivators also meant that rogue alchemists were almost certainly hidden among the crowds, quietly refining and selling their own pills. All of these combined, just those producing pills for the Qi-Refining Realm likely numbered more than five.

Under such circumstances, were Jade Essence pills truly viable for sale? Could they really become a pillar industry for the Luo Tian Society?

All of it remained an open question!

No wonder he handed me so many top-grade Jade Essence pills. At the normal price, that batch would be worth at least fifty to sixty thousand spirit stones. As these thoughts flashed through her mind, Gu Caiyi immediately said, ”I’ll get it done as quickly as possible and bring you a complete report.”

Luo Chen looked at her and gave a soft nod. ”I trust you with this.”

Gu Caiyi smiled and prepared to take her leave.

The restoration of Biyou Valley was in full swing. Many rogue cultivators who had previously left were now negotiating with the Luo Tian Society, hoping to return and resume their small trades. As head of the Gold Hall, Gu Caiyi was responsible for external relations. She was genuinely pressed for time.

Just before she left, Luo Chen suddenly called out, ”Send Duan Feng to me!”

”Understood.”