An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

With that thought, a weight lifted from his heart. Luo Chen opened his eyes and summoned his status panel.

[Status Panel]

Name: Luo Chen

Lifespan: 46/230

Spirit Roots: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth

Realm: Foundation Establishment Stage Six (1/100); Blood River Realm (50/100)

Achievement Points: 41

[Techniques]

Eternal Youth Evergreen Sutra: Grandmaster (565/1000)

Divine Breaker of Malevolence: Perfected Mastery

Myriad Beast Sutra: Beginner (10/100)

[Spells]

Tier Three

Tier Two

Tier One

Perfected Mastery Spells (click to view details)

[Alchemy]

Clear Origin Mystical Pill Method: Grandmaster (750/1000)

Essence Restoration: Proficient (218/300)

Scaled Shift: Beginner (5/100)

Star-Plucking: Beginner (19/100)

Perfected Mastery Alchemy (click to view details)

[Martial Arts]

Mountain Cleaving Monument Breaking Palm: Perfected Mastery

Heavenly Maiden Scatters Flowers: Grandmaster (501/1000)

Wang Secret Manual: Grandmaster (501/1000)

[Skills]

Second-Tier Alchemist, First-Tier Healer

Second-Tier Pills

First-Tier Pills

Perfected Mastery Pills (click to view details)

Luo Chen stared at the cascading waterfall of his status panel, a satisfied smile tugging at his lips. He hadn’t had the leisure to study it carefully during the journey home. But now, back in his cultivation chamber, he could finally take his time and assess everything properly.

Another year and a half had passed. Naturally, his age had climbed to forty-six. At the same time, reaching the sixth stage of Foundation Establishment had extended his lifespan by ten years.

”Two hundred and thirty years of potential lifespan,” he murmured inwardly. ”As long as I don’t die before the natural lifespan, that’s more than enough to cultivate steadily all the way to Perfected Mastery of Foundation Establishment.”

Even though he no longer had access to the lesser third-tier spirit land, a second-tier top-grade cave residence like the one he had on Tianlan Peak remained a highly coveted cultivation site among Foundation Establishment cultivators. Luo Chen was not the kind to dismiss it simply because he had once enjoyed better; on the contrary, he paid his rent more promptly than anyone, afraid that some well-connected cultivator might force him out.

If he were forced to cultivate in a mid-grade cave residence where his speed would be halved, he’d have nowhere to cry about it! For Foundation Establishment cultivators, a spirit land was simply too critical. It far outweighed pills and enchanted artifacts in importance!

On the status panel, not much else had changed, except for a noticeable improvement under the second-tier spell section. His proficiency in both Glazed Skyveil and Solar Flare had reached Perfected Mastery after a year of practice in Green Pill Valley. He could now cast them effortlessly.

As for their effects, he could judge that Solar Flare was roughly equal to a mid-stage Initiate’s standard attack with an enchanted artifact. That was no small feat. It meant Luo Chen could achieve nearly the same offensive strength without relying on enchanted artifacts. As for Glazed Skyveil, its defensive strength was harder to gauge. Only real combat could reveal how far it could go.

What annoyed him was that his mastery of Landslide remained stubbornly at Grandmaster level. No matter how much effort he poured into it, the breakthrough refused to come. It was frustrating, since he’d already achieved Perfected Mastery for the three prerequisite first-tier spells. Even Glazed Skyveil, infamous for its difficulty, had eventually yielded to his efforts, yet Landslide proved even tougher to train. Still, he reminded himself that greater difficulty often meant greater potential.

If I can cast Perfected Mastery Landslide by the time I become a late-stage Initiate, even those at the ninth stage might not be able to take it! Luo Chen chuckled at that thought and quickly scrolled further down.

Luo Chen’s mastery of the Clear Origin Mystical Pill Method, used for detoxifying pill poison, was still progressing sluggishly. He had reached Grandmaster level long ago, a level described in the manuals as ”major mastery,” yet every step beyond that point had become even slower than expected. Still, there remained the possibility that Perfected Mastery would unlock a hidden transformation. As for his other alchemy techniques that Luo Chen had achieved Perfected Mastery in, he tucked them away because there were too many of them and they were visually overwhelming.

A new technique had been added: Star-Plucking. He had obtained it from Elder Xing Yun of Green Pill Valley. It was an alchemy method used for processing minerals, similar to Jade Fracture but broader in scope and capable of producing superior results. As Elder Xing Yun had explained, even Celestial Meteoric Iron could have its essence extracted for alchemy through this technique.

”Hey, a new skill!” Luo Chen stared at the panel in surprise as a new entry appeared: First-Tier Healer. That hadn’t been there when he returned from Green Pill Valley!

Luo Chen cast a glance toward the chamber door, his expression thoughtful. Most likely, this development was tied to his recent efforts in studying medical texts, drafting prescriptions, and repeatedly casting Heal. All of it fell neatly under the broad path of ”A Hundred Ways to Immortal Ascension,” particularly the healer’s branch.

In the vast world of cultivation, healing was, unsurprisingly, a popular profession. Many cultivators possessing water, wood, or earth spirit roots often doubled as healers. Even the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect, renowned for its fierce warriors, counted two or three excellent healers among every ten disciples. It sounded contradictory at first, but it made perfect sense; those who fought the hardest were the ones most often injured.

Besides, the basics of healing were relatively easy to learn. It didn’t require too much time or effort to master simple treatments like mending minor wounds or stabilizing internal injuries. Most cultivators could pick these up with a few weeks of study. What proved difficult was true mastery.

Luo Chen’s old acquaintance, Luo Tianhong, was a prime example—the very man now reduced to the soul sealed within the Soul-Refining Banner and known as Little Black. That man had once been an exceptional healer. Luo Chen still remembered the day he used the legendary Golden Silkworm Reconnection to seamlessly reattach Qin Liangchen’s severed arm. It had been a thing of awe.

If I ever get the time, Luo Chen mused, maybe I should study a few medical techniques. In the cultivation world, you can never have too many skills.

He had no ambition to become a great healer; he only wanted to learn enough to save a life or two when the moment demanded it.

Moving past the healer entry, Luo Chen glanced at his alchemy section. There was little new to note. He had picked up only two beginner formulas: the Dustfall Pill and Spirit Feed Pellet.

A laugh escaped his mouth when he saw the system’s refreshed achievement points. ”Didn’t think I’d get those back.”

In the second round of the Dao Scion competition, he lost ten achievement points just to learn the Dustfall pill. Now, after pushing several spells to Perfected Mastery or at least reaching the next levels, his points had risen again to forty-one. That alone put him in an excellent mood. Holding such a substantial reserve of achievement points gave him a deep sense of security. If a new alchemical formula appeared that required immediate refinement, he could grasp its fundamentals at once. If a powerful third-tier spell or cultivation technique surfaced, he could spend points to comprehend it and gain beginner-level proficiency instantly.

It was the same principle as when he refined second-tier Imperial Nectar while still in the Qi Refinement Realm to achieve Foundation Establishment. The more achievement points he accumulated, the greater his peace of mind became.

After reviewing his current state, Luo Chen finally exhaled, the weight on his mind easing a little. These internal assessments were a regular habit of his, not just to track his progress but also to reflect on the lessons he’d learned and plan future priorities. He considered which skills required more practice to advance in proficiency, which pills needed to reach a higher grade before they were useful to him, what level of mastery in his cultivation methods would accelerate his training, and so on. In essence, it was his own version of daily introspection.

With that reflection complete, Luo Chen resolved to focus on Landslide and Soul Intimidation. He needed to bring Landslide to Perfected Mastery as soon as possible, while his mastery of Soul Intimidation was already nearing Grandmaster level and offered immense benefits for tempering his divine soul.

Of course, he wasn’t going to neglect his alchemical skills either. Jade Essence Pills were no longer his focus. Instead, he turned his attention to Jade Dew Pills. The Ice Fortress required them urgently, and he himself needed spirit stones. The timing made for a perfect exchange. He wasn’t worried that refining large quantities of Jade Dew Pills would expose the extent of his alchemical skill; whatever could be exposed had already been exposed. Crushing the Seven Prodigies of Green Pill Valley and winning three consecutive rounds in the alchemy contest had been his intentional reveal of his alchemy skills. It was all to lay the groundwork for a reasonable pretext to start mass-producing Jade Dew Pills upon his return.

”I am already better than the Seven Prodigies of Green Pill Valley. Naturally, I should be able to refine more Jade Dew Pills, and of higher quality as well.”

Luo Chen’s confidence was unwavering. But for now, there was no need to rush. Healing Gu Caiyi remained his top priority.

Yet although Luo Chen was in no hurry, it seemed someone else was. The very next morning, a gentle knock sounded at the entrance of Cave Residence Bing Seventeen. Standing outside was a young girl—Shi Lan, with her ever-so-sweet and composed expression on her face.

”Senior Brother Luo, my master requests your presence,” she called sweetly.