An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Early the next morning, within Luo Chen’s cave residence on Tianlan Peak, Wang Yuan stood frowning at him, the furrows on his forehead deep enough to form a pattern.

”You’re extremely weak right now. Are you sure you want to attend the auction?” asked Wang Yuan.

Across from him, Luo Chen who was having breakfast forced a faint smile and replied, ”Of course I’m going. I gave my word, and a promise must be kept.”

Wang Yuan shook his head and said, ”It’s just a third-tier healing medicine. If it comes down to it, we can walk away from the Golden Jade Liquid deal.”

Luo Chen only responded with a smile. The auction wasn’t simply about fulfilling a promise. As it had progressed, the items up for bid had grown increasingly valuable. By the third day, the auction had become an event for Foundation Establishment cultivators and even Golden Core Adepts, far beyond the reach of Qi Refinement cultivators. The invitation Xuan Yunzi had handed him had marked out several rare resources, among them items Luo Chen now desperately needed. Given the exorbitant costs and the stakes involved, he didn’t trust anyone else to handle the bidding. Therefore, he was determined to attend even in his current condition.

Finishing his meal, he rose and called out, ”Little Ling, clean the dishes. I’m heading out!”

”Got it!” Bai Meiling’s cheerful voice echoed from another room.

Wang Yuan threw a glance toward the ghost cultivator scurrying about the residence, then followed Luo Chen outside. Once outside, Luo Chen summoned the Langqi Flying Boat and handed the control incantation to Wang Yuan. Under his control, the two slowly lifted off from Tianlan Peak and headed toward the city.

As they soared, Wang Yuan asked, ”So... what are you going to do with that ghost cultivator?”

”What do you mean, what to do?”

”You know what I mean. Even if the Jade Cauldron Domain doesn’t outright ban ghost cultivators, their cultivation path is far harder than ours. Keep her around too long, and not only will she fail to reach the Dao and she might start holding you back.”

Luo Chen chuckled. His current exhaustion had nothing to do with Bai Meiling. Wang Yuan had misread the situation but Luo Chen still felt a faint warmth from the man’s concern. He thought of the ending Wang Yuan had met during the Divine Ghost Heartmirror long simulation, and the smile slowly faded from his lips.

”I have my own plans for Little Ling, but let’s talk about you,” Luo Chen replied simply.

Wang Yuan blinked and asked, ”Me? What about me?”

Luo Chen’s tone grew serious as he said, ”Ghost cultivators may be tolerated in the Jade Cauldron Domain, but devil cultivators are absolutely forbidden. Brother Wang, you can’t walk the demonic path.”

Wang Yuan burst into laughter and replied, ”What are you talking about? Do you really think I’m that short-sighted? Besides, the line between righteous and demonic... isn’t it just a joke? My heart is clear, my conscience intact. I act according to my beliefs. Who’s to say what’s righteous and what’s not?”

Luo Chen had no argument for that. His friend’s reasoning, as dangerous as it might be, was not easily countered. All he could do was sigh and ask, ”Brother Wang, tell me honestly. How far have you refined your Physique Refinement cultivation technique?”

The Wang Secret Manual that Wang Yuan had given him only contained records of the first stage of Physique Refinement cultivation and the beginning of the second. After all these years, with no distractions, Wang Yuan had surely made progress. Wang Yuan glanced at Luo Chen in surprise as he did not expect him to show such interest in Physique Refinement. Still, they had walked this path together and supported each other. This kind of thing wasn’t exactly a secret.

Wang Yuan answered with confidence, ”I had already filled in a good portion of it before. After breaking through to Foundation Establishment, I gained fresh insights into the soul, willpower, spirit energy, and blood essence. With that, I’ve gradually begun to piece together the cultivation methods for the mid stage of the second stage Physique Refinement.”

Luo Chen wasn’t satisfied. He pressed further, ”And what about the late stage of the second stage? Are you building your practice more on Xiao Wuyan’s blood-path cultivation techniques, or drawing from that Sky Roc Transformation we bought off the black market?”

Wang Yuan hesitated for a brief moment. Then, with a sigh, he chose to speak honestly, ”I’ve been relying primarily on the blood-path techniques. After all, it was the Blood Fiend Seizing Formation that allowed me to reach Foundation Establishment.”

Hearing that, Luo Chen felt a faint wave of dizziness. No wonder, in the simulation, Wang Yuan had ended up on the blood-path and turned demonic. The pieces aligned too well. The simulated path had merely followed reality’s trajectory. But if things continued as they were, that blood-path technique would inevitably corrode the heart and twist the mind. Wang Yuan might not notice the change at first, but over time, it would manifest, and when it did, it would be too late.

If he ever began to act recklessly or lose control, he’d inevitably provoke a Golden Core Adept. And this was Tianlan Immortal City, not the backwater of Dahe Market. There were powerful figures everywhere, and a single misstep could mean death.

Taking a deep breath, Luo Chen steadied his mind and said, ”Brother Wang, there’s going to be a second-tier Physique Refinement cultivation manual up for auction today. I’ll make sure to win it for you. Whether you choose to switch or just study it for insight is up to you.”

Wang Yuan paused, asked as he was genuinely surprised, ”There is?”

He hadn’t heard anything about that. Before he could ask further, the Langqi Flying Boat was already descending outside Icewave Palace. As the vessel glided to a halt, the attention of many Foundation Establishment cultivators was drawn toward it.

This flying boat looked to be much higher in grade than those recently sold by the Treasure Pavilion! Who could its owner be?

Among those gazes, Luo Chen spotted a few familiar faces such as Li Yixian and Nangong Jin. It had been quite a while since he’d last seen them. They were standing beside a group of Foundation Establishment Initiates, including none other than Zhou Qing, an elder of the Lianyun Trade Alliance from Dahe Market.

Seeing Luo Chen disembark, Li Yixian opened her mouth as if to speak but ended up simply nodding with a wry smile.

Luo Chen frowned and thought, It seemed both she and Nangong Jin had joined the Lianyun Trade Alliance.

While he looked at them, they naturally noticed him as well. Zhou Qing observed him with curiosity, then shook his head in mild surprise. According to Li Yixian and the others, Luo Chen was supposed to be strong and well-established. Yet from this first glance, his eyes were dim, and his expression listless. He looked like someone whose foundation was shallow and unstable.

Makes sense, only thirty or so and already at Foundation Establishment? He wasn’t some major sect prodigy. If he had reached such cultivation at this age, he had likely resorted to unorthodox methods. A solid foundation would be impossible, thought Zhou Qing.

”Let’s go inside.”

With the Lianyun Trade Alliance’s elder entering Icewave Palace, Zhou Qing signaled for Li Yixian and Nangong Jin to follow. Luo Chen had no intention of catching up with them. Instead, he walked over to the waiting members of Luo Tian Society. Though it was called a group, there were only three present. Sima Huiniang, Duan Feng, and Kang Xianqiong. It was the third day of the auction. There was no reason for the Qi Refinement members of Luo Tian Society to participate.

Seeing Luo Chen appear, the weight pressing on the three of them finally lifted.

”Big Brother Luo, are you alright?” Kang Xianqiong was the first to greet him.

Luo Chen tugged at the corner of his mouth, a little uncomfortable. He waved his hand and said, ”I’m fine. I gave you my word, and I’ll do my best. Just have your spirit stones ready.”

Kang Xianqiong nodded gratefully. In her eyes, if Luo Chen said he would try his best, success was nearly certain.

”Are you really alright?” Duan Feng stepped up beside Luo Chen, his usually indifferent face tinged with concern. He was one of the people closest to Luo Chen. Throughout their journey, he had rarely seen Luo Chen like this. No matter how tough things had gotten before, Luo Chen was always energetic and full of schemes.

Not like this! His expression was dull, his face full of fatigue. Even his manner of speech was frail and sluggish, as if he were recovering from a serious illness. In response to his friend’s concern, Luo Chen slapped Duan Feng on the shoulder and said, ”Little Duan, why are you worrying about me! Instead of worrying about me, why don’t you work a little harder with Sister Xia and give me a little nephew!”

Duan Feng gave him an exasperated glare and walked off on his own. Luo Chen smiled and walked over to Sima Huiniang, saying, ”Let’s head in and talk as we walk!”

***

”Three years are nearly up. The abandoned spirit fields on Danxia Peak are almost fully restored to low-grade first-tier. On the first day of the auction, Yuan Dongsheng, Feng Xia, and I purchased a large batch of spirit medicine and plant seeds. Once winter passes, our spirit fields will be ready for cultivation.”

As they walked, Sima Huiniang briefed him on the developments from the first two days of the auction. Luo Chen listened attentively, occasionally probing for more details.

In the first two days of the auction, Sima Huiniang had used the one hundred thousand spirit stones to their fullest potential. She acquired a wide variety of spirit seeds, cultivation tools for spirit plants, and fertilizers that could accelerate their growth. And that was just for the Medicine Hall. She had also bought plenty of supplies for the other branches of Luo Tian Society. For example, she acquired spirit solutions for tempering, rare ores, and custom molds for the Artifact Hall’s forging work.

As for the Alchemy Hall, many of their furnaces were old. She had spent a hefty sum to purchase a batch of new alchemy furnaces, ranging from low-grade to mid-grade and even a few top-grade ones! On top of that, she had negotiated with cultivators from Tianyi Tower outside the auction for a batch of battle robes. She commissioned a hundred low-grade robes in one go, spending a full twenty thousand spirit stones. Her request was for uniform designs that, beyond the standard enchantments, would also bear the insignia of Luo Tian Society. Bit by bit, she was shaping Luo Tian Society into a formal sect structure.

Listening to these details, Luo Chen remained patient. Sima Huiniang was capable and only growing more so. That was a good thing! It meant she could take a great burden off his shoulders. In the Divine Ghost Heartmirror simulation, though he had ultimately failed to reach the Golden Core Realm and hadn’t even glimpsed its process, the experience was far from fruitless. He had come to understand that if he continued handling everything as he always had, life, cultivation, and management, he would exhaust himself. Not from the cultivation itself but from spreading himself too thin. Therefore, he had to learn to delegate authority! It’s not only to Sima Huiniang, in time, more authority must be handed to people like Qu Lingjun, Duan Feng, and Bian Zhen. Only by doing that could he truly focus his energy on cultivation.

”Using the quota of the Li family of Qinhua River, we successfully bid on a Foundation Establishment pill. President, it’s yours,” said Sima Huiniang. With reverence and a hint of reluctance, she handed a jade box to Luo Chen. This scene was seen by Duan Feng, Wang Yuan, and Kang Xianqiong. That was a Foundation Establishment pill! The most coveted treasure among Qi Refinement cultivators.

To their surprise, Luo Chen gently pushed it back. ”You keep it.”

”Uh... what?” Sima Huiniang was stunned.

”This Foundation Establishment pill is yours. Take it when you reach Perfected Mastery of Qi Refinement.” With his hands behind his back, Luo Chen stepped into the private room that Icewave Palace had specially reserved for him.

Sima Huiniang followed behind in a daze. ”But...”

”No buts. Your contributions over these years haven’t gone unnoticed. You’ve earned this. No extra payment necessary, it’s yours.”

Seeing that Sima Huiniang still looked stunned, Luo Chen added calmly, ”I’ll explain things to Min Longyu myself.”

”Th-thank you, President...” Sima Huiniang’s voice was slightly choked.

Luo Chen waved it off, unconcerned. The five of them settled into their seats, their gazes turning toward the grand auction hall before them.

“By the way,” Luo Chen asked suddenly, “while I was away, did any of you keep track of how many Foundation Establishment Initiates have gathered in Tianlan Immortal City? Were there any major events during that time?”

Duan Feng replied at once. “I’ve been keeping a rough count. So far, at least two hundred Foundation Establishment Initiates have shown up for the auction.”

”That many?” Luo Chen was surprised.

Duan Feng shook his head. ”That’s not a lot. I chatted with Li Jinhuang from the Li family of Qinhua River. In its prime, this auction attracted four to five hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators. This year’s turnout is actually considered low.”

Luo Chen was taken aback. He had previously estimated that within Tianlan Immortal City, there might be about a hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators residing long-term, with temporary visitors raising the total to perhaps a hundred and thirty. Yet now, this large-scale trade fair had doubled the number in one sweep. At its peak, the figure could even quadruple or quintuple, and this was merely one auction.

This made it clear just how vast the number of Foundation Establishment Initiates was in the Jade Cauldron Domain. And this was only the count from a single immortal city. There were nine other immortal cities on par with Tianlan Immortal City, along with numerous smaller second-tier cities. Beyond those, the seven sects of the Jade Cauldron Domain each commanded their own formidable numbers of Foundation Establishment disciples.

Altogether, within the Jade Cauldron Domain alone, the number of Foundation Establishment cultivators easily reached into the thousands. With so many gathered in one region, the demand for cultivation resources had grown unimaginably fierce.

It was no surprise that tensions were rising, and the war between the two Nascent Soul sects had long been inevitable.

After Duan Feng concluded his report, Sima Huiniang spoke up, sharing recent incidents from Tianlan Immortal City. Most involved rogue cultivators from outside who violated local laws.

One case in particular stood out: a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator had attempted to resist the enforcement team and flee on a flying artifact. He had barely taken to the skies before a bolt of lightning from the city’s protective grand formation struck him down on the spot.

The city’s no-flight rule was clearly not just for show.

While the group spoke in hushed tones, the auction proceeded without pause. After running for two days, the process had become smooth and efficient, every detail executed with clockwork precision.

The only difference today was the auctioneer. A Golden Core Adept had taken the stage.

”That’s the Ice Fortress’s Fairy Ruthless,” Duan Feng whispered. ”She’s strong. She made a brief appearance on the first day.”

Luo Chen nodded, his expression tightening slightly. He had heard of Fairy Ruthless before and had even gone out of his way to investigate her background. For one reason, she was Tantai Jin’s master. In many ways, she represented Luo Chen’s true backing within Tianlan Immortal City.

“I didn’t expect her to personally preside over the third day’s auction,” he murmured.

Though unexpected, it wasn’t unreasonable. In a small-scale auction, a Foundation Establishment Initiate could easily maintain order. But in a large-scale auction like this and with over ten thousand participants and hundreds of Foundation Establishment cultivators, an ordinary cultivator simply couldn’t hold the venue together.

Especially now, Luo Chen subtly glanced toward several of the Honored Guest rooms above. Several Golden Core Adepts had come to this auction, and among them one name stood out above the rest.

Her name, Fairy Ruthless, suited her perfectly. Her bearing was cold and restrained, her gaze like still ice. Under her watchful eye, the once lively hall had fallen into hushed silence. No one dared to stir up trouble.

Yet the bidding remained as fierce as ever. The main bidders were Foundation Establishment and Golden Core cultivators. They all had a clear understanding of the true worth of the resources presented.

When a piece of tree core was carried out with solemn formality, Luo Chen’s attention sharpened. This was the item he had been waiting for.

”Warm Yang Essence,” Fairy Ruthless announced, her tone clear and crisp. ”A semi-refined third-tier spirit material, harvested from the Xuyang Tree, a third-tier spirit tree. When refined into pills, it strengthens the divine soul’s foundation and enhances spiritual perception. Starting bid, three thousand spirit stones!”