An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Boom!

A deafening roar erupted the instant the flame dragon clashed with the golden barrier. The sound echoed across hundreds of li. Even within Tianlan Immortal City, the blast was heard as clear as day. It carried the resonance of a dragon’s cry, the rumble of thunder, and the clash of gold and iron.

In that instant, countless cultivators paused mid-task and turned toward the source of the commotion. Streaks of escape light flashed across the sky, converging on the battlefield from all directions.

At the center stood Luo Chen. He felt the full weight of the blast as the ground quaked beneath him. His thoughts stirred. So this is the power of a formation? That strike just now was almost on par with my Landslide at full power!

In the world of cultivation, there were many disciplines, including alchemy, formations, artifact forging, talismans, beast control, and spirit-vein grafting, but not all were considered to have the same value. Pills stood supreme, formations second, artifacts third, and talismans fourth.

No one disputed the dominance of alchemy. But there had always been debate over placing formations ahead of artifacts. After all, artifacts of some sort were essential to every cultivator; they were used daily and often as frequently as pills. Why should the art of formations rank above that? Some even dared rearrange the order: pills, artifacts, formations, and talismans.

Yet in the eyes of the great sects and true powerhouses, such talk was little more than the babble of children. The Dao of formations was endlessly variable. Its range of applications defied imagination, whether for cultivation, combat, defense, or spirit seals; formations were indispensable.

To formation masters, all things in heaven and earth were part of one vast formation. The contours of mountains, the flow of rivers, and the current of oceans were simply expressions of the Dao of formation.

At this moment, Luo Chen finally understood the truth. Only now, standing at the heart of this overwhelming spectacle, could he truly appreciate just how terrifying a properly prepared formation could be.

That last strike? It was only the first strike of the Ninefold Flame Dragon. Yet even that initial attack already matched the most devastating move in his arsenal.

What about when the formation reaches the ninth strike? Luo Chen wondered. How powerful will it become? Will it surpass the mid-stage Foundation Establishment? Or perhaps even the late stage? Could a mere second-tier formation unleash a strike on par with that of a Golden Core cultivator?

Luo Chen couldn’t estimate it, but his gaze upon Min Longyu’s back grew three shades more serious. This man, who had once switched allegiances midway and now served under Luo Chen, had proven himself again and again since achieving Foundation Establishment. Whether it was the defense of Danxia Peak, the extermination of the Geng family stronghold, or this current assault on the Divine Craftsman Sect, his strengths were on full display.

He was worth every effort and every spirit stone I invested in him, Luo Chen thought, satisfaction flickering behind his calm gaze.

After his reflection, Luo Chen composed himself. While the others watched breathlessly, waiting for the second wave of assault, he acted differently. He extended his spirit consciousness outward, letting it gently probe the still-active Ninefold Flame Dragon Formation.

Soon, he located the enchanted treasure anchoring the formation’s core. The Mystic Flame Sword!

That flying sword had been in his hands for five or six years, refined slowly and steadily. Luo Chen felt confident that if he were to use the sword now, whether in terms of number of times he could use it or raw destructive power, it would far surpass what Wang Haichao had once been capable of. If he was at full power, he could unleash it at least five times, and each strike would release at least forty percent of the sword’s peak power! That already outclassed supreme-grade enchanted artifacts, blood-inherited treasures, and even talismans containing thirty percent of a treasure’s power.

In Foundation Establishment combat, the sword was nothing short of a devastating weapon. Yet despite its overwhelming potential, wielding a true enchanted treasure across realms, especially for someone only newly in the Foundation Establishment, remained an exhausting task. No matter how low-grade the enchanted treasure might be, the burden on the body and spirit was immense. Great might comes at great cost.

Moreover, it lacked versatility. In battle, Luo Chen still preferred near-instant cast spells and supreme-grade enchanted artifacts in battle. That was why he hadn’t used it in the Qinhua River battle. It hadn’t been out of disdain for the Hu brothers or Wei Tuo.

Min Longyu had once told Luo Chen, ”If you leverage the residual power of a great formation like this, you could refine a treasure in days, saving yourself decades of work.”

If that were true, then this was an opportunity Luo Chen could not afford to miss. Without hesitation, he sat cross-legged on the ground. Following the method Min Longyu had taught him, he began crafting a minor restriction using his spirit consciousness, shaping a binding seal to harmonize with the formation.

At first, the formation resisted him faintly, its dragon-like resonance rumbling with warning. But once his spirit seal was in place, the entire formation seemed to recognize him, accepting him as part of itself

As I thought. Since the formation’s eye is anchored by my Mystic Flame Sword, which I’ve refined for years, the rejection is weak. With the Dragon Transformation Seal cloaking me, I can practically become part of the formation.

Luo Chen’s spirit consciousness sank into the Mystic Flame Sword. At that moment, it was as though he had become a sword spirit, and within the rhythm of the functioning formation, he felt himself taking on the role of the formation spirit as well.

The Dragon Transformation Seal truly is a profound and wondrous restriction! Luo Chen sighed in amazement.

He wasted no more time and activated the Mystic Flame Sword, letting it gradually absorb the fire-element spirit energy. As fire-element spirit energy continued to pour in, his roles as ”sword spirit” and ”formation spirit” subtly merged into one. His control over the sword grew sharper, more refined, with every passing moment.

***

While Luo Chen tapped into the formation to temper his weapon, Min Longyu’s assault on the Divine Craftsman Sect only grew more ferocious.

The first strike of the Flame Dragon had merely been a probe. By the end of the first day, he had already raised the formation’s power to the third strike!

By then, the flame dragon’s strikes had fully reached the late stage Foundation Establishment in power. The golden barrier no longer held its earlier stability. Each impact sent golden ripples shuddering across its surface.

On the second day, Min Longyu pushed the formation to the fourth strike The emerging flame dragon even began to show faint, semi-real outlines of scaled armor. The force of this new assault left all the spectators utterly stunned. And if mere bystanders were shocked, the inner ranks of the Divine Craftsman Sect were even worse off.

When Fei Changqiu entered the central formation hall, he found the Grand Elder pacing anxiously, muttering to himself, ”How is this possible?! Why is this happening?”

”Grand Elder, what’s wrong?” Fei Changqiu asked uneasily.

The Grand Elder snapped back to himself, a trace of panic in his eyes. ”Each strike from the Luo Tian Society surpasses late-stage Foundation Establishment power.”

”So what?” Fei Changqiu frowned. ”Didn’t you say before that even if late-stage Foundation cultivators attacked, we could hold out for months?”

”It’s different, this is different!” The Grand Elder muttered and suddenly looked up. ”The enemy has a formation master. It’s not brute force. They’re using the cycle of the five elements. They’re using fire to overcome metal, trying to destabilize our formation directly!”

Fei Changqiu’s expression changed dramatically, but he still held onto a shred of hope. ”Didn’t we have the formation set up with both metal and earth to balance the cycle?”

Yes, fire suppressed metal. But earth resisted fire. And with the support of the mountain’s veins, the formation should have been able to counteract such attacks.”

To his shock, the Grand Elder let out a bitter laugh. ”It’s changed. Everything’s changed. There’s no such thing as a formation that remains forever unchanging. Our Divine Craftsman Sect has always focused on artifact forging. Every year, when we reinforced the formation, we added more and more metallic ores to increase its offensive strength. Now it’s completely dominated by metal. The balance with earth is long gone.”

Fei Changqiu’s mouth dropped open. His eyes glinted with traces of fear.

The Grand Elder wasn’t finished. ”Their formation master found our weakness and laid the purest fire formation possible. And this... is only the beginning.

”Six months? I fear... we won’t last even six days!”

***

Seven days?

That had been Min Longyu’s original estimate, but if he recalculated it now, he wouldn’t even need that long.

”President’s Mystic Flame Sword may be low-grade, but its ability to amplify fire-element power is exceptional,” he muttered to himself. ”I didn’t factor that in....”

His eyes flickered as he ran the numbers again. ”At this rate... five days will be enough. More than enough.”

Five days!

Min Longyu’s eyes gleamed with brilliance as he continued to command the formation, drawing out every ounce of its power.

On the third day, the flame dragon reached its fifth strike.

On the fourth day, it advanced to the sixth!

***

On the fifth morning, Luo Chen, who had been fully immersed in refining his enchanted treasure, suddenly awakened from a deep trance. His head snapped up, and he turned toward the southeast. A streak of light tore rapidly across the sky.

As the light dimmed, murmurs erupted among the rogue cultivators who had been watching the scene overnight.

”White beard, long brows, flushed face, an iron sword controlled by qi. That’s Zuo Song, isn’t it?”

”You dare call Elder Zuo by name? Watch your tongue!”

”He’s the first late stage Foundation Establishment cultivator to come observe this in days, isn’t he?”

”Why is he here? Don’t tell me he’s here to...”

While the crowd speculated, Luo Chen moved, soaring into the air like a great roc spreading its wings.

”Fellow Daoist, this is as close as you’re allowed to watch!” declared Luo Chen.

Zuo Song came to a halt. Qi circulated intensely around his body, and the broad sword beneath his feet trembled faintly. He was a sword cultivator, though not a traditional one. His path lay in sword control through qi, not refining sword orbs into weapons.

Zuo Song looked at Luo Chen and forced a smile. ”Fire Spirit Lord, show mercy when it’s due; why go so far as to drive them to ruin?”

Luo Chen stared at him coldly. ”Since you didn’t show up earlier, why wade into muddy waters today?”

Zuo Song’s expression stiffened. He could hardly admit that Fei Changqiu had promised him a better deal through secret transmission.

As he hesitated, two more streaks of light cut through the sky and descended behind him. The crowd erupted in a fresh uproar.

”Isn’t that Fairy Yuzhi?”

”She’s here too? Is she also here to plead on the Divine Craftsman Sect’s behalf?”

”Fairy Yuzhi is known for her wide connections; perhaps she’s close with their sect master.”

The woman they whispered about descended gracefully. She had a tall, elegant figure, a waist so slender it seemed unreal, and skin that gleamed like polished jade. Her very presence carried a fragrance as intoxicating as a fiery spirit herb.

Even before she arrived, her scent had reached the crowd, wrapping around them like an invisible silk ribbon. Luo Chen twitched his nose and used the Turtle Breath to hold his breath.

He knew this woman. They had crossed paths twice before. She was the former occupant of Cave Residence Bing Seventeen, Ling Yuzhi.

Unusually, she had somehow gotten a second-tier top-grade cave residence. Sure, she was at the sixth stage of Foundation Establishment, but... that was far from enough. After all, she wasn’t the elder of any cultivation family, nor attached to any major power, and she didn’t seem to have any notable skill. Yet she could still afford the upkeep of a top-grade cave residence!

Out of curiosity, Luo Chen had once asked Chu Kui about her background, and the answer had left him utterly speechless.

Back when she was still at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, Ling Yuzhi had entered into a brief romantic entanglement with none other than the Master of Fragrance, one of the three Golden Core Adepts of the Hundred Flowers Palace.

After the Master of Fragrance passed away, Ling Yuzhi had inherited a generous supply of cultivation resources, allowing her to advance directly to mid-stage Foundation Establishment.

Not only that, she used the Master’s name and connections to thrive in Tianlan Immortal City, leasing a top-grade cave residence as a rogue cultivator, and weaving herself seamlessly into elite social circles. She was considered the city’s social butterfly.

What had shocked Luo Chen most was the rumor that the Master of Fragrance was actually a Mistress of Fragrance. So the two of them...

”Luo Chen,” Ling Yuzhi spoke suddenly, her voice soft but tinged with pride, ”there’s no need to go so far. We are all cultivators living in Tianlan Immortal City. Eventually, we will cross paths again.”

Though her words were polite, her tone was distinctly haughty.

Luo Chen glanced at her, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

Zuo Song, a late-stage Foundation Establishment grand cultivator, had still respectfully addressed him as ”Fire Spirit Lord,” yet she was calling him by name.

Luo Chen snorted coldly and turned away, casting his gaze toward the final person to arrive. To his surprise, this man was also a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

”And how should I address you, Fellow Daoist?” Luo Chen asked.

The man’s frame was gaunt, his hands resembling skeletal claws that were impossible to ignore.

He said calmly, ”Greetings, Fellow Daoist Luo. I am Luo Feng.”

Another Luo! Luo Chen’s eyebrow arched and asked, ”Are you perhaps Fellow Daoist Luo Feng from the Luosha Market?”

”That would be me,” Luo Feng replied, cupping his hands in formal greeting.

Luo Chen swept his gaze over the three of them and fell silent. He hadn’t expected that, just as the formation was on the brink of collapse, Fei Changqiu could still summon two late-stage Initiates and a sixth-stage one This was the power of a century’s worth of connections in the Tianlan Immortal City.

While Luo Chen remained silent, the trio on the other side studied the scene carefully.

Zuo Song stood with the iron sword across his back and glanced past Luo Chen at the massive formation behind him. A glint of unease flickered in his eyes, and somewhere deep inside, a faint thread of regret stirred. But when he noticed Luo Feng at his side, he found some reassurance. With the two of them here, surely the Luo Tian Society would hesitate to press forward. And all it had cost him was a few words.

Luo Feng also cast a discreet glance at the formation. It was not operating at full power, yet it was enough to threaten even cultivators at his level!

Only Ling Yuzhi’s expression had darkened. Luo Chen had ignored her entirely during their earlier exchange. That was blatant disregard.

The very bumpkin she had once looked down on was now humiliating her in front of countless witnesses. Her proud heart burned with indignation. Suddenly, she no longer felt inclined to smooth things over.

Let the fight begin! With two late-stage Initiates and myself, killing Luo Chen would be a piece of cake! Ling Yuzhi thought.

Suddenly, Luo Chen raised his head and looked at the three of them. ”You three suddenly show up to speak on behalf of the Divine Craftsman Sect, surely not out of friendship, is it? What kind of offer did they make you?”

Luo Feng made no effort to conceal the truth. ”A long-term business deal and a Foundation Establishment pill.”

”That’s all?” Luo Chen asked, almost amused.

Luo Feng nodded. ”That’s all. But...” His tone grew casual, almost offhand. ”I heard your society has plenty of Foundation Establishment pills and runs a forging business. My Luo family has a mine. If the Luo Tian Society agrees to a partnership and gives me one Foundation Establishment pill, I’ll leave right now.”

Luo Chen chuckled. A bandit bargaining in broad daylight!

Instead of responding, he looked to the other two.

Zuo Song laughed heartily. ”Fei Changqiu merely promised me a piece of rare ore.”

What kind of ore could make him abandon aloof detachment and rush over in the middle of the night? thought Luo Chen.

Lastly, Luo Chen turned to Ling Yuzhi.

Her expression grew awkward under his steady gaze. ”Just a few spirit stones,” she muttered. ”Nothing worth fussing over.”

Hearing what the Divine Craftsman Sect had promised them, Luo Chen felt actually relieved. So much for deep ties and lasting relationships; it was all just transactions. And if that was the case...

Luo Chen grinned viciously. Without turning back, he shouted, ”Min Longyu, launch the final assault!”

No sooner had the words left his lips than a hundred-zhang-long flame dragon roared into existence. As if to spite their three stunned and furious expressions, the flame dragon slammed into the resplendent golden barrier.

Ninefold Flame Dragon, eighth strike!

Endless crimson flames surged forth, taking the form of the dragon once more and crashing headlong into the barrier.