An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

The clouds shifted like white dogs chasing each other, and time slipped by like a shuttle through the warp yarns of a loom. Though cultivators rarely paid attention to the change of seasons, even the most untrained eye could see the transition from spring to summer.

It had been more than half a year since Luo Chen took up temporary residence in the Dao Scion Palace atop Qingyun Peak. Although he had once planned to tour the famed fifty peaks of Green Pill Valley, he had scarcely taken a step beyond the palace grounds. Tao Wan had been extremely busy!

Since becoming the Dao Scion, her days were no longer consumed by cultivation. Instead, her duties had multiplied—recruiting disciples, expanding her network of influence, and building a foundation of prestige. On top of that, she frequently accompanied Sect Leader Qing Yunzi to learn the intricacies of sect governance.

Green Pill Valley had invested a fortune in her advancement, supplying resources in abundance to ensure her eventual ascension to the Golden Core Realm. How could such support come with no strings attached? Once she succeeded, she would take over as sect leader, laboring for the sect for the next century until a new Dao Scion rose in her place. Only then would she retreat to one of the other four peaks and assume the mantle of elder, permitted at last to pursue personal cultivation in peace.

To outsiders, this might sound burdensome. But for a Foundation Establishment cultivator, it was an opportunity beyond imagination. If given the chance to repeat the Dao Scion competition, Tao Wan would not hesitate to go all in once more.

As for Luo Chen, he barely set foot outside. He remained secluded in the side hall of the Dao Scion Palace, focused solely on cultivation. It wasn’t all about absorbing ambient spirit energy; he had asked Tao Wan to help him find an open space where he could practice spells freely. With spirit energy so dense, he could cast spells without restraint and quickly replenish any spirit power he used. There was no longer a need to pinch and count every bit of spirit power, which used to hinder the speed of his grind.

With both of them occupied, it was normal for days to pass without them meeting.

But to say that he barely set foot outside did not mean Luo Chen never left his cultivation room. Rather, whenever he did leave it, he did not go out exploring; he always went to one single destination. And that destination was none other than Danyang Peak—the Grand Alchemy Institute, a place countless young alchemists in Green Pill Valley dreamed of.

After all, Luo Chen had claimed first place in all three trials of the Dao Scion competition’s second round. Since Tao Wan had secured him under her banner, the Grand Alchemy Institute could hardly miss the chance to extend a hand. From time to time, veteran second-tier alchemists invited him over to discuss alchemy. He even got to know another third-tier alchemist of Green Pill Valley besides Adept Chi Ding, Adept Xing Yun. Despite her lively grandmother-like appearance, her alchemical mastery was nothing short of divine. Luo Chen once witnessed her refine a pill, and the display stunned him.

Yet as time passed, such discussions grew rarer. Within Danyang Peak. Adept Chi Ding and Adept Xing Yun stood respectfully behind a handsome youth who carried the aura of a dragon and phoenix, glowing like the sun on a spring morning. The three of them stared into the distance at a figure that was gradually disappearing.

After a long silence, the young man asked slowly, ”He won’t do?”

Adept Xing Yun immediately replied, ”I have examined him carefully. Luo Chen’s alchemical foundation is undeniably strong. He performs techniques with ease; in fact, some of them are almost on par with mine. I even demonstrated Star-Plucking, and he managed to follow along. But...”

That single word carried the weight of the problem. Adept Chi Ding sighed. ”His talent in alchemy is merely average. We were all fooled by his performance during the alchemy competition.”

Adept Xing Yun shook her head. ”That was not deception. The competition’s trials were not particularly difficult. Although the two alchemical formulas are new, they aren’t that terribly hard to refine. Luo Chen’s foundation is terribly solid, though, so it’s only natural that he outshone the Seven Prodigies of Green Pill Valley. In truth, we were too harsh in suppressing Dan Yangzi.”

After hearing this, the youth furrowed his brows slightly. ”So we can’t nurture Luo Chen as a prospective third-tier alchemist?”

Adept Chi Ding gave a bitter smile. ”That’s correct. His talent is not sufficient. Even with such a solid foundation, he can only compete at his current level. He is simply not suited for the cross-tier refinement of a Nascent Soul pill. Senior Brother, I fear we must still turn to Miss Mu of the Falling Cloud Sect.”

The youth he addressed as Senior Brother was none other than Qing Danzi, the sole cultivator of Green Pill Valley to inherit the Dao title of their founding patriarch. Though his face looked youthful, he was well into his fifth century of life. Among the late-stage Golden Core grand cultivators of the Jade Cauldron Domain, he was one of the oldest.

Qing Danzi shook his head. ”Han Zhan has already given us the Nascent Soul alchemical formula in exchange for an alliance between the Falling Cloud Sect and Green Pill Valley against the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect. That is the limit of what he will offer. If we wish to seek Mu Yunyan’s help, the price will be even higher.”[1]

Chi Ding sighed. ”Then what path remains for us? Refining a fourth-tier Nascent Soul pill without a fourth-tier alchemist requires at least six third-tier ones, even with the Azure Sky Glazed Cauldron in hand. Right now, there are only the three of us. Junior Brother Qing Yunzi might eventually reach the necessary level, but that would still only make four.”

Qing Danzi remained calm and said mildly, ”Tomorrow I’ll personally visit Longhsou Peak and bring back Dan Yangzi. His talent far exceeds Luo Chen’s. Once he reaches the Golden Core Realm, he can aid us.”

”Will that work?” Chi Ding asked anxiously.

”It must work!” Qing Danzi snorted. ”He is a disciple of Green Pill Valley. How could he refuse his elders? Besides, I will grant him the same resources given to a Dao Scion. He will have no reason to decline.”

The same resources? Won’t that undermine Tao Wan’s advantage?

Chi Ding opened his mouth but said nothing. He understood too well why his senior insisted. Qing Danzi was nearing the end of his years. Though still stronger than Junior Brother Fu, who was already preparing for death meditation, he could last no more than a century, even with longevity pills and secret techniques. If they failed to refine a Nascent Soul pill within that century, he would surely die of old age.

The path ahead was clear. They had to gather six third-tier alchemists within the next hundred years and rely on the power of the Azure Sky Glazed Cauldron, a top-grade alchemical enchanted treasure, to cross tiers and refine a Nascent Soul pill! And for that, they would even need to locate a fourth-tier spirit land! Time was pressing! Otherwise, they could have enlisted young Xuan Yunzi; he did possess some alchemical talent and might be able to help a hundred years down the line.

Though... perhaps, even a hundred years might not be enough. Xuan Yunzi’s cultivation aptitude was too poor, and he was still stuck at the third stage of Foundation Establishment, and unable to make any progress. He had no hope of forming a Golden Core.

”Senior Brother, even with Dan Yangzi, we will only have five people,” Adept Xing Yun said at last. ”Won’t we still need Mu Yunyan?”

Qing Danzi fell silent. Across the vast Jade Cauldron Domain, third-tier alchemists were few and precious. Beyond the domain, he knew a handful more, but each served as the chief alchemist of a major sect. Inviting them would not only demand an exorbitant price but also risk exposing the Nascent Soul alchemical formula. That secret could never be leaked. Otherwise, it could bring about a catastrophic disaster!

No one even knew where Han Zhan, that old monster, had obtained the formula, or which fourth-tier spirit land he had used to reach the Nascent Soul Realm. After a long silence, Qing Danzi finally said, ”Let us focus on nurturing Dan Yangzi first. If that proves impossible, then we will have no choice but to turn to Mu Yunyan.”

The cost of that path would be heavy. Han Zhan never acted without profit, and Mu Yunyan, though a Golden Core cultivator in her own right, was his disciple and always followed his lead. Asking Mu Yunyan for help was no different from approaching Han Zhan himself. Worse still, such cooperation could not be arranged at a moment’s notice. They would need to forge a partnership far in advance, and mastering a fourth-tier alchemical formula would demand immense time and effort.

For an instant, Qing Danzi thought of another. If only Fellow Daoist Shang Hu were still alive....

That rogue cultivator had once defied heaven’s will by condensing a Golden Core on his own, only to later join the Ice Fortress. In the end, he perished at the hand of his own Dao companion. And in a somewhat ironic twist of fate, because of this incident, she had come to be known by the infamous title of Fairy Ruthless.

***

Above Pill Valley, a figure rode the clouds through the sky. He did not wear a Green Pill Valley robe, yet every disciple who caught sight of him respectfully called out, ”Senior Brother Dan Chenzi!”

In the cultivation world, actual seniority mattered far less than ability and merit. Luo Chen’s cultivation was still comparatively low, but his alchemy skills had already won the respect of many Green Pill Valley disciples. At first, some had resented him for overshadowing Dan Yangzi during the alchemy competition; over time, however, as he occasionally visited the Grand Alchemy Institute, even those disciples gradually accepted him.

Luo Chen, on his part, didn’t care much about others’ opinions. The status he had earned was won with his own hands. What he cared about were the tangible gains in his grasp.

The Grand Alchemy Institute truly was a treasure trove. After only a few visits, he had already gained Star-Plucking and even three incomplete ancient alchemical formulas. Just thinking about these rewards brought a smile to his face.

Even so, he could feel that the institute’s attitude toward him was steadily declining. Those seasoned second-tier alchemists were no longer as enthusiastic as they had been at the beginning. It likely had something to do with his underwhelming performance while trying to reconstruct the incomplete alchemical formulas.

Luo Chen paid it no mind. If he had excelled too easily, that would only have aroused suspicion. He understood his own limits well enough. He did have some talent in alchemy, but he was far from exceptional. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have taken him so long to deduce the incomplete formulas for the Spirit Passage pill and Jade Dew pill back then, and those were only first- and second-tier formulas.

Now the institute had presented him with incomplete third-tier alchemical formulas! And they weren’t even from this generation; rumor had it that they were ancient alchemical formulas from several millennia ago. Their refinement was extremely difficult, and some of the core ingredients were already extinct. Without decades of study, Luo Chen had no way of rebuilding a complete version.

Luo Chen wasn’t dissatisfied with his performance at the time, but he had clearly noticed the growing contempt in others’ expressions. So be it! In the end, I won’t remain in Green Pill Valley. Let them look down on me if they wish! It won’t be long before I break through to the sixth stage of Foundation Establishment. I shouldn’t come here too often; someone’s always watching, and the back of my neck keeps tingling.

He instinctively rubbed the back of his neck and sped up on his cloud-ride once more.

***

Upon arriving at Qingyun Peak, Luo Chen hurried straight back to the Dao Scion Palace. As he had expected, Tao Wan wasn’t there. She was likely out again with the sect leader.

”This Dao Scion role isn’t easy at all!” Luo Chen muttered. Still grumbling, he returned cheerfully to his side hall residence and glanced at his status panel.

Realm: Foundation Establishment Stage Five (55/100); Blood River Realm (50/100)

The progress bar soared higher than ever before, a testament to his half-year of focused cultivation.

It had already been a full year since he first came to Green Pill Valley.

During the first half-year, he had been tied up with the Dao Scion competition and only had access to a mid-grade second-tier spirit land, so his progress had been pitiful. He had barely advanced by a few points. Yet once he had begun cultivating in the Dao Scion’s side hall, his cultivation speed had started soaring at a terrifying rate! Even Tao Wan’s claim of seven or eight times the normal speed was an understatement. She had overlooked the fact that physiques varied greatly from person to person!

Luo Chen was no ordinary mid-stage Initiate; his physique was incredibly strong, and he had fully mastered Meridian Unblocking, enabling his body to absorb spirit energy far more efficiently. With the core technique of the Medicine King Sect supporting him, his absorption of ambient spirit energy far exceeded even that of most major sect true disciples.

The only potential weakness lay in his divine soul. Yet not only was Luo Chen’s divine soul foundation not weak, but it even far surpassed ordinary standards! When he had reached the third stage of Foundation Establishment, his divine soul had already rivaled that of a late-stage Initiate. In the years that followed, as his cultivation rose to the fourth and then the fifth stage, his divine soul continued to strengthen. Later, after repeatedly refining and consuming supreme-grade Spirit Passage Pills, his divine soul had reached a level equivalent to that of an eighth-stage cultivator.

With such a foundation, Luo Chen now stood virtually without weakness. While he might not yet dare to cultivate within a true third-tier spirit land, the environment prepared for Tao Wan was deliberately moderated into a lesser third-tier spirit land. In other words, it had been specially moderated just right for Luo Chen to train within.

With both internal and external conditions aligned, Luo Chen’s cultivation speed had surged like never before—nearly ten times greater than any previous speed boost he had experienced! Naturally, he ignored all distractions and devoted himself entirely to daily cultivation.

So this is the power of a major sect! If ordinary Foundation Establishment disciples enjoyed such treatment, the number reaching late stage would multiply many times over. No... that’s not quite right. Most early- and mid-stage disciples don’t have the foundation I have, so how could they sustain cultivation this intense? And creating an environment tailored specifically for late-stage Foundation Establishment must be incredibly demanding. In all of Green Pill Valley, only the Dao Scion enjoys such benefits. I really am piggybacking on this privilege.

With a faint smile, Luo Chen estimated the time required for his next breakthrough, then closed his eyes and sank back into cultivation.

Green Pill Valley was not a place to linger for long, in the end. The Grand Alchemy Institute’s enthusiasm toward him had waned. In time, Tao Wan would grow more accustomed to sect affairs and would inevitably return to the Dao Scion Palace for frequent cultivation. For them to live under the same roof, day after day, without being acknowledged as Dao companions would quickly become inappropriate.

Meanwhile, the stock of Jade Dew pills he had left with Fairy Ruthless was likely running low. Beyond that, the Luo Tian Society he had built painstakingly in Tianlan Immortal City awaited him, along with his companions. He had to return.

”Six months,” Luo Chen resolved. ”No more than that. Whether or not I reach the sixth stage, I will leave by then.”

1. The raws originally used the name 慕玉仙 (Mu Yuxian), but later the story consistently refers to Mu Yunyan instead. Since 慕玉仙 only appears once in this novel, I assume it is an author error, so I have rendered it as Mu Yunyan. ☜