An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Back when we secured Xiaohuan Mountain, there was a wedding banquet just like this, Luo Chen muttered.

Back then, the bride and groom had been the repentant Zeng Wen and Xiugu.

But now, times had changed.

The Luo Tian Society was no longer a ragtag group, and it now had three Foundation Establishment Initiates. If they were still in Dahe Market, they’d be an undisputed giant by now.

And Zeng Wen... was long gone.

Such liveliness is only a fleeting moment on the path of cultivation.

Though Luo Chen relished the atmosphere, he understood he could never indulge in it for long.

If he wanted to witness such scenes again, he needed only one thing, longevity. Only then could he continue to behold these sights.

And for now, he had to form his Golden Core!

Boom!

A burst of fireworks shot into the sky, blooming into brilliant light.

Behind him, a raucous cheer erupted.

Duan Feng, reeking of alcohol, was being pushed and herded toward his cave residence by a crowd of laughing well-wishers.

”President, are you coming to crash the bridal chamber?”

”No, I’ll pass.”

Luo Chen smiled and waved them off, letting the crowd carry Duan Feng away. As he watched Duan Feng, glowing with pride and happiness, a faint hollowness stirred in Luo Chen’s heart but he quickly shook his head and pushed the feeling aside.

”Duan Feng should be pleased with the wedding gift I gave them.” Murmuring to himself, Luo Chen returned to his quarters on Danxia Peak. It was a cave residence rich in spirit energy. The chamber was quiet and lonely.

The Divine Fiery Incense was lit, its fragrance curling into the air, and an Ascending Dragon pill was swallowed. His solitary figure began to circulate his cultivation technique, drawing in spirit energy from all directions.

***

The revelry gradually faded. Duan Feng, dressed in his fitted red ceremonial robes, stepped into the bedroom. Seeing the veiled figure seated quietly on the bed, a rare tenderness surfaced on his face.

Holding the red bridal scale, he gently lifted the veil.

”Sister Xia, I’m back.”

Feng Xia’s eyes shimmered with emotion, filled with tender affection. ”Husband, from now on, you should call me ‘wifey.’”

”Wifey!” Duan Feng chuckled but his smile quickly froze. ”Your voice?”

The sound that reached his ears was soft as silk, like spring water trickling in a mountain stream gentle, bright, and musical. It sounded slightly strange, but was incredibly pleasant to the ear. Gone was the hoarseness and dryness of before.

”Your voice!”

Feng Xia placed her hand on her throat and sighed softly, ”It was Luo Chen. He healed me.”

Duan Feng was momentarily at a loss for words. After a while, he murmured with emotion, ”Us being together at all... it’s all thanks to him.”

And wasn’t that the truth? If Luo Chen hadn’t stopped him back then, Duan Feng might’ve rushed headlong into the deathtrap that was the Golden Core Ruins of Ancient Plains.

He most likely would never have returned alive.

Without Luo Chen’s help, Feng Xia would never have survived on her own after being dismissed by the Hall of Hundred Herbs, much less developed her relationship with Duan Feng during that time.

That the two of them came together at all, Luo Chen deserved the highest credit.

”In the future, we must repay him properly!” said Feng Xia.

”That’s a matter for another time. Let’s not talk about that tonight.”

Duan Feng climbed onto the bed and drew the red bridal curtains closed.

***

The wedding between Duan Feng and Feng Xia had a massive impact.

First, it released the years of pent-up frustration among the Luo Tian Society, greatly boosting their sense of unity. Second, the event caught the attention of every surrounding power.

There was no ignoring it!

That day, red ribbons fluttered, the mountain swelled with people, drums thundered, and firecrackers roared... The festivities lasted deep into the night.

Such a scene was rarely seen in the cultivation world. Only forces with confidence and strength could afford something like this. After all, with strength comes confidence.

Through this wedding, the Luo Tian Society had, in effect, declared its strength to all the factions nearby.

At first, the Luo Tian Society had only Luo Chen as its sole Foundation Establishment cultivator. But in just a short span, it now had three Foundation Establishment Initiates! Especially with the Ice Fortress standing behind them, no one could afford to overlook the Luo Tian Society anymore.

Not long after the wedding concluded, good news came flooding in from Sima Huiniang’s end.

The Geng family agreed to cooperate and settle in Biyou Valley, resuming their previous ventures. They also opened a small marketplace under their control, allowing the Luo Tian Society’s pill business to flow in. This was a mutually beneficial move.

Then came a piece of pure good news.

Previously, several factions had quietly targeted the Luo Tian Society over its pill business being overly strict on supply, prices, and even demanding heavy deposits.

Now, those restrictions were lifted completely. Not only had the suppliers’ attitudes improved dramatically, they even stated outright that the huge deposits were no longer needed.

Cash for goods, up front and on the spot.

Some even hinted at deeper collaboration offering to provide goods first and accept payment later.

Another cultivation family living downstream of Tianlan Immortal City, by the banks of the Qinhua River, went a step further. After several rounds of contact, they formally proposed a marriage alliance with the Luo Tian Society.

Their Foundation Establishment Grand Elder had almost reached the end of his lifespan and had only a few days left. The family had no promising juniors capable of reaching Foundation Establishment. They were in desperate need of a new patron. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to hold their lands and would eventually have to abandon their territory like the Fu family once did.

Now that the Luo Tian Society had power and wealth, it had clearly entered their sights.

This news landed directly on Luo Chen’s desk.

”The Li family?”

”Yes, the Li family by the Qinhua River,” Sima Huiniang confirmed.

Luo Chen glanced over the proposal, puzzled. ”I remember they were in the pill business too. Didn’t we have business conflicts with them before?”

”That was then, this is now. Their grand elder is about to pass. And their pill business has taken hit after hit from us and the Zheng family. Even their hired Foundation Establishment guest elder can no longer be paid.

”Now the grand elder is dying, the guest elder is gone, and the Li family of Qinhua River is on the verge of collapse.

”So they’re urgently seeking a new backer to prop them up until someone in their family can break through to Foundation Establishment.”

As Sima Huiniang laid it all out, Luo Chen slowly came to understand the family’s position.

Reading the proposal, Luo Chen gained a rough idea of the Qinhua Li family’s assets. They were situated by the river and possessed a vast prairie where they grew numerous medicinal herbs. Such holdings would be impossible to defend without a Foundation Establishment cultivator overseeing them.

A marriage alliance?

”What’s your take?”

Sima Huiniang’s eyes lit up. ”I think it’s worth doing. The Li family’s foundation isn’t deep, but the resources they control are excellent.

”If we rope them in through marriage, whether for mutual aid or gradual annexation later, there’s plenty to gain!”

Luo Chen chuckled.

It seemed Huiniang is thinking well into the future. Mutual aid would apply at the start of the alliance and any pact would come with a time limit

If their side actually produces a new Foundation Establishment cultivator, then the alliance could be mutually beneficial. But if that time passes and they don’t, the Luo Tian Society could swallow them whole, absorbing everything they had.

Setting his thoughts aside, he replied, ”Alright, I agree. Did they mention who they want for the marriage?”

”They’re offering Li Yingjun. Her cultivation is nothing exceptional, barely at the seventh stage of Qi-Refining. But her status is significant. She’s the direct granddaughter of their grand elder who’s about to pass.”

Sima Huiniang plainly gave the name of the proposed candidate. Then her tone grew hesitant as she slowly added, ”They hope to form the alliance through a marriage with our Alchemy Hall Leader... Qu Lingjun!”

Not long ago, after Qu Lingjun advanced to the fifth stage of Qi-Refining, Luo Chen had officially stepped down from his concurrent role as Hall Leader of the Alchemy Hall and passed the title to Qu Lingjun. It was a way to lighten his own responsibilities, and also to encourage Qu Lingjun’s steady progress in alchemy.

With that, Qu Lingjun became the youngest and lowest in realm Hall Leader in the entire Luo Tian Society.

Yet no one had questioned the decision. This was because Qu Lingjun was Luo Chen’s disciple. And because back when Luo Chen was in the Poshan Gang, he too had been at that same realm when he led the Alchemy Hall.

But now, the proposed marriage from the Li family of Qinhua River was actually aimed at Qu Lingjun.

Luo Chen muttered, ”Now this... is getting interesting!”