An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

”Xuchen Mountain shares fate with Luo Chen? What a joke!”

In the Wei family estate, the words slipped from Wei Bufan’s mouth before he could stop them. But his anger subsided quickly, giving way to sobering clarity. The meaning behind Luo Chen’s words couldn’t have been more obvious. If they refused his terms, it wouldn’t just be a casual visit to Xuchen Mountain; the entire fortune of their faction might end up sharing fate with his pockets.

When Luo Chen had crushed other factions, at least he’d left the land behind. But if he set his sights on Xuchen Mountain, extermination would not be the worst outcome. There was something far crueler than extermination. And that was conquest, enslaving the cultivators of the Wei family to serve his cause. It wasn’t unheard of, and as long as the justification sounded proper, one didn’t even need to fear being labeled a devil cultivator.

Now, thanks to Wei Tuo’s failed ambush, Luo Chen had that excuse. Every justification he needed was in his hands.

Wei Bufan forced himself to calm down and reconsider the three demands.

The first, no revenge, was expected. Wei Bufan didn’t even mind. He and Wei Tuo had never been close anyway. If they had been, Wei Tuo wouldn’t have excluded him when scheming over the Li family’s assets. The second demand, however, was troublesome. What if he were ordered to fight someone in the middle or late stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm? That would be no different from suicide.

The third condition, by contrast, was surprisingly easy to accept.

”Second Elder, where do we usually buy pills for the juniors’ cultivation?” Wei Bufan asked.

Wei Ping’an replied without hesitation, ”We’ve always bought qi-nourishing pills from the Spirit Herb Pavilion. They’re quite expensive.”

Wei Bufan pressed further for current prices, then compared them with Luo Tian Society’s offerings. After a moment, he nodded. ”The first and third terms are acceptable. As for the second, I’ll need clarification. I won’t sign away my life so easily.”

He turned to Wei Ping’an. ”You’ll make another trip. Ask him the details.”

Wei Ping’an looked a little exasperated, but he knew he couldn’t refuse. The family’s survival was on the line, even if the thought of facing Luo Chen again filled him with dread.

The very next day, Wei Ping’an returned to Danxia Peak. This time, he brought back terms Wei Bufan could live with.

”I only need to act against someone of equal cultivation to mine?” He let out a breath of relief. In that case, the three demands weren’t so difficult to accept.

”Perhaps this Fire Spirit Lord isn’t as unreasonable as they say,” he muttered.

When the family’s survival was on the line, a bit of dignity was a small price to pay. On the third day, the Wei family delivered their peace offering: one hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones and five top-grade enchanted artifacts. In return, the Luo Tian Society immediately sent over their first shipment of top-grade Jade Essence pills.

In the Luo Tian Society’s Grand Hall, Luo Chen smiled as he gazed upon the ten large chests of spirit stones.

Sometimes, victory did not require endless bloodshed. In fact, sparing the Wei family was more beneficial to him. First, it showed the Luo Tian Society could act with magnanimity and weren’t dead set on mindless annihilation. Second, it secured them a steady buyer for their pills.

Those three additional conditions might have looked excessive at first glance, but in truth, they were straightforward. They gave both sides a way to step back with dignity; the Luo Tian Society upheld its image, while the Wei family, having paid the price, could finally lay the matter to rest.

As for the dead Wei Tuo? Who cared? Wei Bufan probably preferred it this way. A family’s resources were limited, and with Wei Tuo at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, his needs would have consumed a lion’s share that should have gone to the family head. Now that he was gone, most of them were likely relieved.

”With this settled, only the Divine Craftsman Sect remains,” Luo Chen murmured, his fingers gently brushing the edge of the spirit stone chests as his gaze darkened with thought.

In all these recent events, Luo Chen had walked a tightrope, adjusting his approach at every step. Those who crossed the Luo Tian Society had to be crushed swiftly and punished without delay. Only then could he make it clear: the Luo Tian Society was not to be trifled with. If they were provoked, the price had to be paid, and that price could well mean ruin and even extermination.

Yet there was always a limit. Retaliation could not be too extreme or too frequent, as excess carried its own danger in the form of public opinion. Tianlan Immortal City was surrounded by countless forces. Not all were minor powers like the Jade True Temple or the Geng family. Mid-tier powers such as the Wei family of Xuchen Mountain and the Li family of Qinhua River had mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators to anchor them. And beyond them stood the truly powerful factions like the Lianyun Trade Alliance, the Iron Sword Hall, and the Du family of Taibai, which all had Foundation Establishment grand cultivators!

For now, the Luo Tian Society had risen to become a mid-tier force, and Luo Chen himself was recognized as one of the stronger mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators. But even with that reputation, challenging the top-tier factions would still be a perilous gamble. Even with Chu Kui’s aid, the cost could well turn out to be unbearable.

That was why, after crushing the Geng family, the Ying family, the Danyuan Sect, and the Jade True Temple, Luo Chen had deliberately pulled back. The remaining enemies, like the Wei family of Xuchen Mountain and the Divine Craftsman Sect, he left untouched, watching in silence.

It was not forgiveness. He simply wanted to see how they would respond beneath the weight of the Luo Tian Society’s growing momentum. If they chose resistance, he would reorganize his forces and strike again. If they chose peace, he would accept it just as readily.

After all, the gains from this battle were already substantial, far more than enough. In truth, the Luo Tian Society might not even be able to absorb further spoils in the short term.

For now, the Wei family of Xuchen Mountain had chosen reconciliation, and he had graciously offered them a stairway to step down with dignity. That left only the Divine Craftsman Sect.

”What will they choose?” he whispered.

***

While Luo Chen kept an ear out for movements from the Divine Craftsman Sect, most of his energy was spent managing the aftermath of their recent battle, consolidating the spoils of war, and stabilizing new assets.

Some gains, such as Ink Mulberries, Jade Silkworms, and the Plume-Snatching Eagle, were not yet ready to produce profit. On the contrary, they demanded heavy investment in manpower and resources just to remain viable.

Others, however, were far more immediate, like spirit stones.

Luo Chen had always maintained a healthy flow of liquid capital within the Luo Tian Society as a buffer for emergencies. Most other factions followed the same principle. This time, however, their war spoils had brought in a considerable haul.

”The Danyuan Sect gave us fifty thousand spirit stones. Ninety percent are low-grade. Almost no mid-grade stones to speak of. The Jade True Temple was wealthier, totaling seventy thousand. Rumor has it that part of it came from the Ying family, who paid them handsomely to help oppose the Heaven Blade Xing family. The Ying family itself wasn’t wealthy. We only got thirty-some thousand from them,” Murong Qinglian reported.

These smaller sects and families turned out poorer than Luo Chen had expected. He remembered how Mi Shuhua, back in the day, could raise a hundred thousand in one breath and still have reserves left over. Compared to that, these returns were meager, barely a few tens of thousands from each. It was downright pitiful.

Such was the cultivation life in the Tianlan Immortal City. Resources were plentiful, but everything came at a cost. Without skills or power, saving up a fortune was nearly impossible.

Murong Qinglian continued, ”The wealthiest was still the Geng family. We brought back a full one hundred forty thousand from their treasury. Clearly, they’d been profiting off the unclaimed Danxia Peak for years!”

Luo Chen shook his head as he tallied the numbers. Altogether, the total barely exceeded three hundred thousand.

Too little! Far too little!

Murong Qinglian noticed his displeasure and quickly added, ”Some stones were likely carried off by escapees. Others were distributed to disciples, and much was pocketed privately by those who fought. President, should we reclaim everything and redistribute as before?”

There was precedent. In the Luo Tian Society’s early days, they had done exactly that. But this time, Luo Chen shook his head and said, ”Let it be. We’re feasting on the meat; let the others at least sip the broth. A fair share of gain keeps their morale high.”

Part of his reasoning was that the recent reform to the merit system had dampened enthusiasm among some cultivators. This was a subtle way to give back and restore motivation.

Murong Qinglian agreed readily and took the opportunity to raise matters of merit-based rewards and penalties.

When it came to Qi Refinement cultivators, Luo Chen left such decisions to her. She was far more familiar with the procedures. But for Foundation Establishment cultivators, he made the calls himself.

”All resources go into the treasury,” he ordered. ”Let Wang Yuan and the others each choose two items. As for Min Longyu, give him the giant hammer enchanted treasure left behind by Geng Lie.”

Min Longyu’s contributions had been vital. He had defeated the Geng siblings, aided Duan Feng in slaying Fairy Miao Yu, and controlled the formation that held back several hostile Foundation Establishment cultivators. The storage pouch taken from Geng Shuzhen alone was hardly enough of a reward.

Luo Chen continued, ”Also, set aside one hundred thousand spirit stones. Once everything settles, distribute them as rewards.”

One hundred thousand just like that?That’s no small amount! Murong Qinglian was startled.

”I’ll take nothing. The remaining two hundred thousand will stay in the public account.” Luo Chen paused, then added, ”The new ventures will need heavy funding. Consider this our seed capital.”

The Luo Tian Society already held over one hundred thousand in reserve. With this windfall, even after distributing the rewards, their liquid assets would surpass three hundred thousand spirit stones, an amount only a handful of Foundation Establishment forces could match.

”Of course, how it’s spent will be up to Huiniang once she emerges from seclusion. In the meantime, Sister-in-law, I’ll need you to help keep things in order.”

Murong Qinglian swallowed hard. Being entrusted with such an enormous sum of spirit stones made her nervous, but she gave no objections. This was both a sign of Luo Chen’s trust and a test of her capabilities.

After failing Foundation Establishment once, she had mostly lost hope for the Great Dao. Now, all she sought was to build a future for her son, Xiaohu. And she could already sense the tide shifting. As the Luo Tian Society continued to rise, more Foundation Establishment cultivators would inevitably fill its ranks. One day, every hall leader might stand in that realm. If she wanted to keep her position while still in Qi Refinement, she would have to prove her worth in ways that went beyond cultivation.

After Murong Qinglian left, Luo Chen took stock of his losses and gains.

His losses were minimal, just some spirit power and the one hundred thousand paid to Chu Kui, but the gains were quite impressive. Even setting aside the Luo Tian Society’s long-term profits, he now had one hundred thousand in cash from the Wei family. That alone balanced out the payment to Chu Kui.

With his earlier savings, he was back to two hundred fifty thousand. He also had storage pouches from Dan Yuanzi, Geng Lie, and others. As leaders of sects and families, their wealth surely wouldn’t be small, but Luo Chen wasn’t in any rush to check. What he truly cared about were the numerous alchemy-related books collected as spoils of this chaotic war.

The Hu family, known for their alchemical insights, had yielded a treasure trove. Yuan Dongsheng had returned with stacks of their insights, including two first-tier alchemical formulas and one second-tier formula. The Danyuan Sect also focused on alchemy. Although Luo Chen hadn’t yet opened Dan Yuanzi’s storage pouch, five alchemical manuals had already been recovered from Yuanhe Mountain, several containing alchemical formulas. Even the Jade True Temple had offered up one or two valuable alchemical insights.

Luo Chen mused, If I can fully absorb all this knowledge, my alchemy will advance substantially. And among these formulas, perhaps one will solve the shortage of cultivation pills I’ll face after mid-stage Foundation Establishment.

He had only just stepped into the middle stage, yet already he sensed his cultivation slowing. Even with maximum resources and relentless daily training, he estimated it would take five to six years to move from the fourth to the fifth stage.

At first glance, that timeline seemed acceptable. But looking further ahead, advancing from fifth to sixth could take more than a decade, from sixth to seventh several decades, and once he reached the late stage, progress would stretch into centuries.

That was something Luo Chen could not accept.

There was also the looming problem of tolerance. The Ascending Dragon pill was the strongest mainstream cultivation pill available to him. If he built a tolerance to it, how would he ever break through the bottlenecks of late stage Foundation Establishment?

Luo Chen couldn’t rely on sporadic top-grade pills from auctions. The only path forward was self-sufficiency: refining his alchemy, collecting every formula he could, and ultimately achieving complete independence.

As he pondered how best to arrange his time, Murong Qinglian returned. ”President, someone from the Ice Fortress is here!”

Luo Chen’s eyebrow furrowed, a gleam flashing in his eyes. Hmm? I searched high and low for them during the chaos. Now that the dust has settled, they suddenly show up? What are they after?

”Who is it?” he asked calmly, though suspicion already stirred in his heart.

”Steward Shi Boying from Icewave Palace,” Murong Qinglian replied.

”Send her in,” Luo Chen said, curiosity piqued. A Foundation Establishment Initiate was no trivial envoy. This seemed serious.

Before long, his old acquaintance, entered the Grand Hall. The moment she stepped inside, her face lit up with a radiant smile.

”Fire Spirit Lord, you’ve truly made a name for yourself. What a stunning display!”

”Fire Spirit Lord?” echoed Luo Chen.

It was the first time he had heard the title spoken aloud. A new Dao title?

Under Shi Boying’s explanation, he finally understood the meaning behind it. His mastery of fire-element spells and his vast spirit power had earned him the title of ”Fire Spirit.” His honorable conduct, unwavering loyalty, and resolute actions had earned him the title of ”Sovereign.” Thus, the world had bestowed upon him this new Dao title.

Luo Chen laughed softly, both exasperated and a little proud. His previous Dao title, Dan Chenzi, had fit him well enough, but that had been coined by Mi Shuhua as a marketing ploy to promote the Jade Essence pills. By contrast, this time, he had earned it through sheer effort. It was like street thugs back on Earth: giving themselves cool-sounding street names when starting, then earning real ones through the blood they shed on the streets. It was a crude analogy, admittedly beneath Luo Chen’s dignity, but the logic held.

With Shi Boying’s praises piling on, Luo Chen couldn’t help feeling a spark of satisfaction. Though he routinely offered bribes in the form of Jade Dew pills, this warmth was unusual.

”Fellow Daoist Shi, speak your mind.”

Shi Boying’s smile faded, her expression turning grave. ”Aren’t you aware? Disaster is already upon you!”

Luo Chen’s brows knitted. ”Are you trying to frighten me?”

”If you don’t believe me,” she said calmly, her eyes unwavering, ”why not come see for yourself?”