An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Chapter 456: It’s Late, Why Don’t You Stay the Night (I)

”Palace Leader Bian Zhen of the Medicine Palace, you have been among us for ten years. You have been loyal and steadfast, and you have performed meritorious service. You have accumulated sufficient merit and reached the Perfected Mastery Qi Refinement Realm. Today, you shall be awarded one Foundation Establishment pill, along with a bottle of revitalization liquid.”

Within Huixin Hall, the morning meeting was underway. Under the watchful eyes of many senior members of the Luo Tian Society, Bian Zhen stepped forward. His hands trembled as he carefully received a jade box from Sima Huiniang. His unusually cautious demeanor stood in stark contrast to his normal composure, yet none of the spectators laughed. On the contrary, they gazed at him with undisguised envy.

A Foundation Establishment pill! Even though it was common knowledge that Luo Tian Society had stockpiled a number of them, to see one handed out directly by the director as a reward still felt surreal.

This was especially true considering that Bian Zhen was not like Wang Yuan or Duan Feng. He hadn’t accompanied the president during the society’s early, precarious years. He had joined only later, during the Xiaohuan Mountain period, after Luo Chen had already reached Foundation Establishment. In fact, he had joined later than even Sima Huiniang. And yet, purely through accumulated merit, he had been granted a Foundation Establishment pill. It was truly astounding. Such a thing would never occur in other rogue cultivator factions; only long-standing major sects ever operated this way.

Bian Zhen drew a deep breath and bowed low, his voice trembling. ”Thank you for the generous reward, Director!”

Sima Huiniang replied calmly, ”No need to thank me. The one you should thank is our generous president.”

Although Luo Chen was absent, Bian Zhen did not hesitate. ”I thank the President for his great kindness. Whether or not I succeed in Foundation Establishment, I shall devote my life to him without hesitation!”

Sima Huiniang gave a small nod. ”The Luo Tian Society is in a phase of rapid growth, and we urgently need capable people. Therefore, I am giving you six months to attempt your breakthrough.”

It was a tight deadline, but manageable. Bian Zhen voiced no objections.

Sima Huiniang continued, ”Before you enter seclusion, hand over your duties in the Medicine Palace to Feng Xia. I do not want your absence to disrupt the operations of the palace.”

Bian Zhen nodded quickly. ”Of course. Rest assured, Director, I’ll handle all transitions properly before I attempt Foundation Establishment.”

With that, he suppressed the joy in his heart and returned to his seat, still visibly elated. Sima Huiniang swept her gaze over the remaining cultivators before moving on to other matters.

The morning meeting gradually drew to an end. Once it was over, she called three people to remain.

“Are you wondering,” she said, “why I gave the Foundation Establishment pill to Bian Zhen and not to any of you?”

Inside the Grand Hall, Qin Liangchen and his wife exchanged uncertain glances. Sima Xian remained silent, though his eyes revealed the same doubt. There was no doubt they had plenty of questions. Based on their relationship, cultivation, and merits, they should have been prioritized over Bian Zhen. Not to mention, Luo Chen himself had previously hinted to them about it.

Could this truly have been Sima Huiniang’s interference? But even if she overlooked the Qin couple, she would never deliberately block her own elder brother’s advancement.

Before they could speak, Sima Huiniang rose to her feet. Her sleeve brushed lightly through the air as she said, ”Come with me to Tianlan Peak.”

Though puzzled, the three followed her onto the flying boat. Together, they headed straight for Tianlan Immortal City.

When they arrived at Luo Chen’s cave residence, Bai Meiling was already waiting outside, seemingly having been instructed beforehand.

”Sister Qinglian, you’re here!” she greeted cheerfully.

Murong Qinglian’s expression softened when she saw Bai Meiling’s solid form. The girl’s white robes were immaculate, and her appearance was no different from that of a living person.

”How have you been?” Murong Qinglian asked gently.

Bai Meiling giggled. ”I’m doing great! I’m already at the ninth stage of Qi Refinement now!”

Murong Qinglian was surprised. She activated her Spirit Eyes to confirm, and sure enough, Bai Meiling’s aura pulsed at the ninth stage.

Can ghost cultivators really advance that fast?

She had no way of knowing that Bai Meiling had consumed Imperial Nectar infused with Profound Yin. It had taken her several months to fully stabilize her cultivation, but her ghostly body had even begun a subtle transformation under the influence of those traces of yin qi.

Sima Huiniang did not interrupt their conversation. She already knew exactly who the little ghost girl was. In life, the girl had been a neighbor from Luo Chen’s siheyuan. She should have perished in the Dahe ghost city, and she had survived only because of a fortuitous encounter with Luo Chen himself. Now, she remained by his side, keeping his residence in order, managing the cave, and handling the mundane matters of daily life.

Sima Huiniang saw this arrangement as entirely beneficial. Since she was tasked with overseeing the Luo Tian Society, she had no capacity to attend to Luo Chen’s personal needs. With Bai Meiling present to shoulder such matters, Luo Chen could dedicate himself entirely to cultivation.

Ever since that night after the celebration, Sima Huiniang had subtly begun to view herself as one of Luo Chen’s closest companions. Even if she was not his Dao companion in name, she believed she could shoulder responsibilities far beyond what any formal partner might offer.

When the conversation finally drew to a close, she turned to Bai Meiling and asked in a casual tone, ”Is the president still in seclusion?”

Bai Meiling shook her head. ”No, he’s bathing. But he’s been inside since last night, so you may still have to wait a while.”

The group paused in confusion. He’s... bathing?It doesn’t take that long to clean up, does it?

***

A well-toned body lay fully immersed in a bathtub full of milky-white liquid.

The once-cracked skin slowly began to heal under the care of that nourishing solution. Had Kang Xianqiong been present, she would have been utterly shocked—this bathtub contained not only essence-nurturing liquid, but also a large quantity of her family’s supreme-grade Golden Jade Liquid.

No one could say what method Luo Chen had used to fuse the two, but the result was undeniable. The mixture carried a powerful restorative effect, healing the body through nothing but soaking.

The soak had lasted an entire night. After a long while, Luo Chen opened his eyes. A wave of vitality spread through his body, and he let out a long breath of relief.

”Thank goodness! Damn, that was close!”

By using the pure wood-element spirit power refined from the Eternal Youth Evergreen Sutra as a binding medium, he had fused the supreme Golden Jade Liquid with the enhanced essence-nurturing liquid. The result was equivalent to a second-tier spirit liquid. Without it, the injuries from the days before would’ve severely hindered his cultivation.

He had swallowed a Blood Fiend pill and used Divine Breaker of Malevolence to direct its brutal force against his meridians. The results had been remarkable: In a single attempt, he had popped open several concealed meridians. Yet such great gains came with dangerous side effects. When he woke from it, his skin was cracked all over, many blood vessels were ruptured, and strands of fiend yin qi lingered in his body, gnawing at his internal organs. Luckily, years of training with the Five Organs Nourishment Fist had strengthened his organs enough to withstand the strain. Even so, the injuries were troublesome.

His body had already reached the second stage of Physique Refinement. He had completed stages such as Vajra Tempering, Golden Flesh and Jade Bones, and Marrow Cleansing. The stronger the physique, the harder it was to damage, but at the same time, it was also proportionally harder to heal. Even Perfected Mastery Heal could only offer a marginal benefit.

Fortunately, Luo Chen had found another path: creating a medicinal bath solution comparable to second-tier spirit medicine. He had allowed his body to slowly restore itself. The inspiration had stemmed from Fire Fusion. By drawing analogies and relying on his deep alchemical knowledge, he had solved the dilemma.

”This Blood Fiend pill truly deserves its name as a Devil Dao pill,” Luo Chen muttered. ”Such a violent medicinal force is something you don’t see every day. It demands an incredibly strong body. Wang Yuan’s suggestion almost put me in the hospital...”

Luo Chen shook his head, though he held no real blame toward Wang Yuan. This time, the recklessness had been his own. Wang Yuan’s physique was so strong that he could use Bright Force before he’d even reached the appropriate cultivation level, something Luo Chen could not yet match. That difference made Wang Yuan’s experience unsuitable as a guide, but that was Luo Chen’s own problem to deal with.

”Looks like I’ll have to approach this slowly and carefully. I can’t afford to rush again.”

Luo Chen exhaled deeply and rose from the wooden tub. With a flick of his fingers, he cast Cleanse, dispelling the lingering scent of medicine and blood. He slipped into a clean outer robe with practiced ease.

He had already sensed Huiniang and the others arriving. Stepping out of the room, he was immediately greeted by several respectful voices. ”President!”

Luo Chen gave them a glance before raising his hand in a beckoning gesture. ”Come with me.”

Without hesitation, Qin Liangchen and the other two followed as he led them into the secret chamber. Only Sima Huiniang and Bai Meiling remained in the main hall, watching silently as the others disappeared beyond the doors.

***

Inside the chamber, under the watchful eyes of the three cultivators, Luo Chen placed three vibrant green gourds before them. He did not waste time with suspense and spoke to them directly.

”Sima Xian, Brother Qin, the two of you have long passed the sixty-year threshold. Sister-in-law, you have already suffered one failed attempt at Foundation Establishment. If I give you an overly aggressive spirit medicine like Foundation Establishment pills, you may succeed, sure. But if you fail, the price will be disastrous.”

Murong Qinglian’s expression tightened. She knew that truth all too well. Her failed attempt had nearly cost her half her life. If not for Luo Chen’s timely rescue and his tireless use of healing arts, she would have lost her cultivation entirely. Even so, it had taken nearly a full year of careful nursing from her husband before she had recovered. If she were to attempt Foundation Establishment with a Foundation Establishment pill again, there was a possibility of success. But if she failed, Luo Chen might not be able to pull her back from the gates of death this time.

Luo Chen pointed at the three green gourds on the table and spoke plainly, ”These are three portions of Foundation Establishment spirit medicine. While its potency falls somewhat short of the true Foundation Establishment pill, it can still significantly boost your chances of success. More importantly, its properties are mild. Even if you fail, your lives will not be in grave danger.”

As soon as those words left his mouth, the three of them were simultaneously stunned. There’s such a miraculous medicine in the world?

After the shock came irrepressible yearning. Even Qin Liangchen, who had long since buried his ambition for Foundation Establishment, felt his heart stir. If the risks were as Luo Chen said, then why not attempt it? If he failed, he could still live and enjoy life with his wife. If he happened to succeed, it would be a blessing beyond measure.

Seeing the yearning in their eyes, Luo Chen nodded and went on. ”But such a treasure would surely draw the enmity of the major sects. If word were to spread, it could bring catastrophe upon the Luo Tian Society, and upon me as well.”

Before any of them could swear loyalty, Luo Chen solemnly declared, ”I will need to ensure that the existence of this medicine can never be revealed. It is not that I doubt your loyalty, but high-tier cultivators in the major sect possess methods beyond your imagination. Interrogation is one thing, but they could use illusions, hypnosis, or even outright soul-search you. If they want you to reveal the information, then no matter how loyal you are, you won’t have a choice in the matter. Now that you understand this, do you still wish to take this medicine?”

After laying out his terms, Luo Chen crossed his arms and waited.

The chamber fell into heavy silence, each of their expressions caught in his watchful gaze.

Sima Xian was the first to speak. ”I want it!”

His tone was firm, showing he had no objection to Luo Chen applying whatever technique to him.

Qin Liangchen exchanged a glance with Murong Qinglian before asking, ”If we refuse the medicine, what will happen then?”

Luo Chen answered calmly, ”I will cast a spell with the Tranquility pill to erase your memories of today. It won’t harm you.”

With that assurance, Qin Liangchen was completely at ease. Without further hesitation, he clasped Murong Qinglian’s hand and declared, ”We want it too!”

Luo Chen smiled. Three jade tokens floated out from his storage pouch. ”Swear your oaths first.”