An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Chapter 469: The Tao Family’s Internal Competition, A Grand Drama!

No matter what opinions the cultivators of the Tao family held toward Luo Chen, they still followed protocol. As an honored guest, he was offered the finest hospitality.

The courtyard that was prepared for him had spirit energy as dense as that of a second-tier mid-grade cave residence. He was also served with spirit dishes brimming with spirit energy three times a day. In addition, he was assigned two female attendants for care and two male Qi Refinement cultivators at his disposal.

After ensuring Luo Chen was settled, Tao Yisheng excused himself and hurried away.

“Senior Dan Chenzi, would you like us to prepare your bath and fresh clothes?” one of the attendants asked softly.

Luo Chen glanced at the two youthful and beautiful handmaidens with bright eyes and waved his hand. “That won’t be necessary. Please wait outside.”

The attendants exchanged a glance before bowing and quietly retreating.

Only when they had left did Luo Chen sweep his spirit consciousness across the courtyard. He checked every corner for surveillance formations and hidden probes. After confirming there were none, he finally let out a quiet breath of relief. He was still a stranger in this land, and caution remained his best shield.

Settling in the courtyard, he took out a book and began reading casually. At first, he turned the pages leisurely, but the deeper he delved, the more absorbed he became.

The book he held was none other than Shang Hu Alchemy Insights, gifted by Fairy Ruthless. Aside from The Treatise of Qing Yuanzi, it was the only third-tier alchemical manual in his possession. And unlike Qing Yuanzi, who had relied on nurturing techniques to luckily refine a third-tier pill and reach the third tier, the author of Shang Hu Alchemy Insights was a genuine third-tier alchemy master!

Luo Chen had acquired the book long ago, yet he had gleaned little from it at the time. The reason was that many of its alchemical theories and methods diverged greatly from orthodox alchemy principles.

Orthodox alchemy emphasized using surplus to offset deficiencies. For instance, if a primary ingredient in a formula had overly strong properties, another would be chosen to balance it out, whether through neutralization, enhancement, or suppression.

But Shang Hu Alchemy Insights described an entirely different approach. It emphasized the use of ingredients born from the same source, harmonizing their qualities so that resistance during refinement was minimized. In this way, the success rate of pill formation rose dramatically. Several alchemy techniques detailed within even involved directly refining pills from the inner cores of demonic beasts.

”This style of alchemy... is very similar to the Imperial Nectar,” Luo Chen murmured.

The Imperial Nectar formula also relied on flesh, blood, and bone from a single demonic beast. In essence, it too was a path of shared origin.

”I wonder where Fairy Ruthless obtained such an unorthodox text...”

After a brief pause, he shook his head. There was no point in dwelling on the question. What mattered now was grasping the obscure and intricate principles buried in the manuscript.

The Dao Scion competition drew nearer with every passing day. Every step forward in his alchemy mattered, not only for Tao Wan’s sake but for his own pursuit of cultivation.

Over the years, he had thoroughly absorbed the insights left behind by Dan Yuanzi, the Geng family, and the Li family. Yet much of Shang Hu Alchemy Insights still eluded his understanding.

***

While Luo Chen immersed himself in alchemical study, a sharp snort echoed through the Tao family’s Grand Hall atop Small Southern Mountain, marking the end of an entire afternoon of heated debate.

Tao Wan’s eyebrows knitted as she coldly watched an elderly man being escorted away.

Tao Yisheng leaned in. “Sister, I’ve brought Luo Chen back.”

”Is everything settled?” she asked.

“He’s in Mohe Garden. I also arranged for Little Peng and the others to attend him at all times.” A trace of dissatisfaction showed on Tao Yisheng’s face. ”Brother Luo traveled all this way, and our Tao family didn’t even send anyone to receive him. We should have at least held a welcoming feast. Instead, he was neglected because of all this mess...”

Tao Wan already knew the truth of it. Their guest had not been treated as he should have been.

Even so, she let out a weary sigh. ”These aren’t just meaningless distractions. If I intend to fight for the Dao Scion position, I will inevitably clash with people like Shangguan Yan and He Yuanqing. Each one of them has a Golden Core elder behind them. The patriarch is worried. If I fail and offend those elders, retaliation could fall on the Tao family, and we might not be able to withstand the consequences.”

The explanation left Tao Yisheng blinking. He had not considered it from that perspective. In his mind, they were all part of the same sect, and the Dao Scion competition was supposed to be an open and fair contest among True Inheritors. Could there really be political vengeance afterward?

Looking at his sister’s worn expression, the result of constant battles with family politics, he spoke with quiet determination, ”You might avoid disaster for now by backing down, but can that guarantee peace for a lifetime?”

Tao Wan glanced at him in surprise.

“Well, well,” she said softly. “You’ve really grown. You didn’t use to think like this.”

It was rare to receive praise from her, and Tao Yisheng scratched the back of his head, a little sheepish. ”I spent quite a while at the Luo Tian Society last year, and a lot of the cultivators there believe in that principle. According to them, Luo Chen started from nothing. He built everything with his own hands, fought through every obstacle, and no matter how strong the enemy, he never compromised.”

The environment shaped a person, and a new environment could transform one as well!

Tao Yisheng, born into the high-walled halls of the Tao family in Green Pill Valley, had once been blissfully unaware of how harsh the world could be. But after reaching Foundation Establishment and spending ten years beyond the sect, his mindset had shifted, and that single year he had spent with the Luo Tian Society had changed him even more.

Tao Wan’s gaze lingered on the faint stubble along her younger brother’s chin, her expression thoughtful.

Then her words came without warning. ”Yisheng, would you like to become the head of the Tao family?”

Tao Yisheng was stunned and responded instinctively, ”But hasn’t the patriarch also held the position of family head for a century or so?”

Tao Wan’s thin lips curled upward ever so slightly. ”You said it yourself, it’s been over a hundred years! Some things are due for a change!”

***

”Competing for the position of family head?” Luo Chen looked at the woman opposite him in surprise.

She wore a flowing green dress, and her long black hair cascaded down like a waterfall until it brushed against her slender waist.

Tao Wan smiled faintly. ”That’s right. Since you seem bored here, why not come observe the ceremony and witness the birth of the Tao family’s new family head?”

An eyebrow arched on Luo Chen’s face. This was interesting. Tao Wan had not come today with the alchemical formulas or the Core Formation insights he desired. Instead, she had suddenly raised this matter. As he looked at her smile, he realized that obtaining those things likely hinged on this so-called contest for the position of family head. The Dao Scion competition had not even begun, yet another battle was about to unfold over who led the Tao family.

”How interesting!” Luo Chen rose to his feet. ”It would be my honor to witness the birth of the Tao family’s new head!”

Tao Wan shook her head. ”It is not me; it is Yisheng.”

Oh?

Now that truly surprised Luo Chen.

***

By the time Luo Chen arrived at the Tao family’s gathering hall, hundreds of cultivators had already assembled.

With a single glance, he counted more than a dozen Foundation Establishment Initiates. In Tianlan Immortal City, such a force would have placed the Tao family among the dominant powers. No wonder people like Tantai Jin and Tao Wan had always looked down on the Luo Tian Society; compared to this, his organization was nothing more than a firefly before the full moon.

Even so, no sense of shame weighed on him. The Tao family had once nurtured Golden Core cultivators. Even in decline, their heritage still carried formidable strength.

As his gaze swept across the hall, Luo Chen quickly spotted Tao Wan and Tao Yisheng standing together. Behind them stood five Foundation Establishment Initiates, unmistakably their supporters.

The rest had aligned themselves behind a single white-haired elder whose calm presence radiated quiet dominance. It was none other than Tao Daonan, the current patriarch of the Tao family and a cultivator at the ninth stage of Foundation Establishment.

As Luo Chen observed the room, countless eyes turned toward him, some filled with curiosity, others tinged with wariness.

Tao Daonan cast him a glance before turning to Tao Wan with a cold snort. ”So, Little Wan, you wish to reinstate the family head in accordance with family law. Fine, I will not object. But why have you brought an outsider here? What is the meaning of this?”

Tao Wan’s lips curved into a proud, unyielding smile. ”Outsider? What are you saying? Dan Chenzi is the Tao family’s retainer. As far as I am concerned, he is one of us. How can you call him an outsider?”

”A retainer?” Tao Daonan’s voice quivered with outrage. ”In all our centuries, the Tao family has never once hired an outsider as a retainer. And without the family head’s consent, who has the authority to appoint one?”

The smile faded from Tao Wan’s face. A cold snort followed. ”Which is precisely why we are appointing a new family head today.”

She gave him no chance to retort. With a flick of her wrist, she called out, ”Yisheng.”

Tao Yisheng inhaled deeply and stepped forward. Calm and resolute, he faced the hall full of watching eyes without the slightest flinch.

”The head of the Tao family must meet three requirements: Foundation Establishment cultivation, alchemical skill, and True Inheritor status. I now meet all three. Patriarch, you are advanced in years and have already lost your True Inheritor title. It is time for you to step down. Today, I seek to become the Tao family head. Who stands with me and who stands against?”

He spoke calmly and clearly, every word brimming with unshakable resolve. The Foundation Establishment cultivators standing behind Tao Daonan exchanged uneasy glances, their expressions filled with disbelief. No one had imagined that Tao Yisheng, after more than a decade away from the Green Pill Valley, would return only to immediately declare his intent to seize the family head’s seat. After all, the position of family head had been monopolized by the patriarch[1]for over a century!

This wasn’t merely a grab of power. Once things were changed at the top, the redistribution of power and resources could upend the entire Tao family structure! The siblings had not come to negotiate. They had come to claim control.

As silence fell over the crowd, Tao Daonan’s aged face grew darker by the moment. He understood that all of this had been orchestrated by Tao Wan. By all reason, it was indeed time to pass the reins to the younger generation, but some things couldn’t simply be handed over just because one said so.

”I am old,” Tao Daonan said at last, his voice low. ”Indeed, it is time I stepped down to make way for the worthy.”

The words had scarcely left his lips before cries erupted from the crowd behind him.

”Patriarch!”

”Grandfather!”

”You mustn’t!”

With just a slight lift of his left hand, Tao Daonan drew on the authority he had built over the years to still the commotion.

His sullen gaze settled on Tao Yisheng. “But, Yisheng, you are still too young and inexperienced. Entrusting the great Tao family to you is something I cannot help but worry about.”

Tao Yisheng glanced at Tao Wan. Under her encouraging gaze, he steadied himself. He met the patriarch’s eyes without the slightest trace of fear.

”I’ve already reached Foundation Establishment,” he said firmly. ”Among cultivators of our level, age no longer matters. Only strength and ability do. As for inexperience, with the guidance of the elders here, I believe I will soon become familiar with every matter of the Tao family.”

His words were reasonable and grounded.

Tao Daonan could not easily refute them. Even so, he shook his head. ”I have been considering stepping down for some time. Over the years, Yichen has already taken charge of most of the family’s daily affairs. If a new family head must be chosen, he has far more experience. Moreover, Yichen is also a True Inheritor of Green Pill Valley. He meets the qualifications as well. Would it not serve the Tao family better to let him take the seat?”

A cold snort slipped from Tao Wan’s lips. ”Why waste words? We are all disciples of Green Pill Valley. Let us follow the sect’s tradition. If cultivation is evenly matched, then alchemy skill will decide!”

At her words, everyone present nodded in silent agreement.

Tao Daonan slammed his hand on the sandalwood table. ”Then it’s settled!”

All unnecessary chatter vanished at once. The Tao family’s cultivators hurried to prepare cauldrons, tools, and crates of medicinal ingredients.

The so-called outsider, Luo Chen, sat quietly in a corner, watching the scene with keen interest. He wasn’t born into a cultivation family, though he had met many such cultivators. Most of what he knew about their internal power struggles came only from hearsay.

Seeing it play out before his own eyes, he found there was a certain allure to it. Every word exchanged was calculated and unyielding. Though tempers flared, an invisible line of propriety still held each side in check.

To gain a foothold in a family required strength like Tao Wan’s, the kind that allowed her to challenge the old order and build anew. Yet, while strength sufficed for a reform, it was not enough for continuity. Without sharp instincts and a keen grasp of social maneuvering, one would be carved apart in a family where every share of resources depended on who held the knife.

What Tao Wan sought was clear. She did not merely want to survive within the family. She intended to become the one who wielded that knife.

Once she seized that authority, those who clustered around Tao Daonan would inevitably turn toward her, compelled by interest and survival. With internal order secured, she would be free to extend the Tao family’s reach outward without fear of betrayal from within.

The classic strategy: securing your foundation before expanding outward! Luo Chen pondered inwardly, raising his opinion of the woman now surrounded like a moon among stars by fellow cultivators.

Just as he studied her quietly, Tao Wan’s gaze swept across the hall and met his. ”Fellow Daoist, shall we go to the alchemy room together?”

The invitation caught Luo Chen by surprise. Such contests were private matters within a family. Of course, he would not refuse. It was the perfect chance to measure the alchemy skills of Green Pill Valley’s cultivators.

”Sure, let’s go together!”

***

A man and a woman walked side by side along a winding forest path. Behind them followed five Foundation Establishment Initiates, silent and watchful. A faint fragrance drifted on the breeze. Luo Chen could not tell whether it came from the woman at his side or from the chrysanthemums blooming along the path.

”Fellow Daoist Tao, you seem to have a lot of faith in Yisheng,” Luo Chen remarked.

Tao Wan’s lips curved into a thin smile. ”I have even more faith in Tao Daonan’s grandson, Tao Yichen.”

Hm? Luo Chen looked puzzled.

The woman’s smile turned into a smirk. ”He has spent these years mired in family politics. His alchemy skills are long abandoned. Though he still bears the title of second-tier alchemist, I doubt he can even refine a second-tier pill now.”

Luo Chen suddenly understood. No wonder she is so confident.

Tao Wan’s gaze shifted toward him. ”Besides, Yisheng has spent the last two years at your side. Don’t you have faith in him?”

Luo Chen returned her look with a calm smile. ”Let’s wait and see.”

Meanwhile, on the other side, the mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators who followed Tao Daonan kept close behind him. They looked deeply troubled. ”Patriarch, how could you so carelessly agree to an alchemy competition? Yichen has spent these years handling family affairs. His alchemy skills can’t hold up anymore.”

Tao Daonan’s expression remained calm and composed. He said lightly, ”If Tao Yichen’s alchemy skills can’t hold up, do you think Tao Yisheng’s will? This competition is about refining our Tao family’s exclusive Rainbow Chrysanthemum pill. Tao Yisheng is nothing more than a theorist. There’s no way he can produce it on short notice.”

The mid-stage cultivator beside him was momentarily stunned as he asked in confusion, ”If neither can produce it, what’s the point of this match?”

Tao Daonan let out a cold chuckle. ”That way, everything will return to the beginning.”

The beginning? The cultivator paused, then suddenly understood. Right... The original argument was all about how Tao Yichen had more experience handling family affairs.

A trace of admiration flickered across the man’s face. ”That girl Tao Wan has her eyes fixed on the Dao Scion competition, and she completely ignores what’s going on within the family. In the end, you are the truly wise one.”

Tao Daonan smiled faintly but offered no reply.

***

Inside the grand alchemy hall, two bronze cauldrons stood tall and imposing. Beneath each one, earth fire blazed, flames occasionally leaping upward but never losing control. A rich medicinal fragrance spread in all directions, filling the hall with a dense medicinal aroma.

Two figures took their places before the cauldrons, each flanked by several vigilant Qi Refinement cultivators who served as attendants.

Tao Daonan cast a glance across the hall at Tao Wan. Without further words, he lifted his hand and gave the signal. ”Begin!”

As the words fell, Tao Yisheng and Tao Yichen raised their hands in unison and cast their spirit incantations. The formation stirred to life, drawing forth the roaring earth fire from the cavern below.

One portion of medicinal materials after another was passed into their hands by the apprentices standing behind them. Each movement was swift and orderly, a clear sign of long-standing family discipline.

From his seat in the corner, Luo Chen watched the contest with keen interest.

A whisper suddenly brushed against his ear. ”Fellow Daoist Luo, watch closely. This is the second-tier alchemical formula I intend to give you. The Tao family’s exclusive pill—the Rainbow Chrysanthemum pill!”

The moment he heard those words, his mind shed its casual detachment and entered a state of perfect clarity. His eyes turned dark and unfathomable, as threads of spirit energy streamed silently toward them, unnoticed by others.

Every motion of the two alchemists fell into his sight. Each subtle transformation within the herbs was captured in his mind, recorded with flawless precision.

1. Tao Daonan has the position of family head (家主) and patriarch (族长). The first is someone in his prime who deals with the ongoing family affairs. The second is a well-respected elder (as in, someone actually advanced in age) who deals with mostly etiquette and rituals. ☜