An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

”I overestimated my mastery in formation arts!” Min Longyu’s voice lay a churning mix of guilt and regret. ”The terrain of the Jilei Nine Mountains carries a strong natural resistance. It was utterly impossible to set up a complete defensive formation. Even a third-tier defensive formation laid down by a Golden Core cultivator from the Falling Cloud Sect would be powerless before another cultivator of the same level.

”For that reason, I spent nearly half a year tailoring a killing formation, the Fivefold Thunderfall Formation, to the terrain. By harnessing the omnipresent lightning force of the Jilei Nine Mountains, this killing formation was sufficient to threaten even a late-stage Initiate. But none of us expected that battle to break out so suddenly. And... no one foresaw that an Adept would act so brazenly, especially since the conflict until then had been limited to Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment cultivators.

”When the fighting erupted, I activated the formation and killed five Initiates in one strike. I thought such a result would frighten the enemy into retreat, but those that remained refused to back down. Wang Yuan ordered me to lead the retreat while the three of them stayed behind to cover us. In the end, Li Yingzhang was gravely wounded, and the Hornless Dragon Sword fell into enemy hands. Xu Haizhen sacrificed his second-tier spirit beast, a white crane, to rescue him. Wang Yuan unleashed his ultimate techniques, casting Divine Blood Tribulation Finger repeatedly to cover their escape. In the end, he was pursued and vanished into the night.”

He paused, breath shaking. ”After we fell back to the eighth mountain, Duan Feng came to assist. Only then was I allowed to return to Tianlan Immortal City and bring back the bodies of our fallen comrades.”

By the end of his recounting, Min Longyu’s voice choked with emotion, and his eyes were red. That battle had truly been tragic. He didn’t know the casualties at the other outposts, but for the Luo Tian Society alone, they accounted for nearly half of their forces. Among their four Initiates, one was seriously wounded, one was missing, and the one with the highest cultivation, Xu Haizhen, had lost a powerful spirit beast. Only Min Longyu had returned unscathed.

”President, I’ve let you down. I deserve to die!”

Luo Chen pressed his lips together, his face tight with restraint. Seeing the man so wracked with remorse, he found himself momentarily at a loss for words. Before Min Longyu left for the war, he had indeed claimed he would go there to set up a formation and safeguard the Luo Tian Society cultivators, yet the outcome now felt like a bitter slap to the face he had held so high. On the battlefield, what right did a mere early-stage Initiate have to make such bold claims?

Still, some things had to be said.

”The fault does not lie with you. You did well. Without the formation you set up, the casualties would not have been limited to what they were. Go and rest. In two days, prepare a full report and hand it over to Murong Qinglian.”

Min Longyu parted his lips to speak again, yet Luo Chen had already turned away and slowly pushed open the doors of Huixin Hall.

Within the hall, silence hung heavy, still and lifeless as death. Min Longyu opened his mouth once more, but no words came. In the end, he departed in quiet shame.

***

In front of the black wood coffin, Luo Chen gently laid both hands upon the disfigured corpse. Strands of pure wood-element spirit power flowed from his palms and settled onto the body. Rotting flesh shifted and reformed, bones snapped back into place, and gruesome wounds closed up. A fresh, ruddy complexion gradually returned to the face, rough and weathered with the marks of age. It was the face of Sima Xian, exactly as Luo Chen remembered it.

Beside him, Sima Huiniang, who had only just regained her composure, burst into tears once more at the sight of that familiar face. In that moment, all traces of the iron-willed director vanished, leaving only fragility, as if she were a blade of grass trembling in the wind.

”We were born in a great city of mortals,” she murmured, her voice trembling. ”Our family was once prosperous, but later fell into ruin. Big Brother raised Wenjie and me by himself. By chance, we stumbled upon an immortal opportunity. All three of us happened to possess spirit roots, and so we began the path of cultivation.”

She smiled bitterly, her eyes still fixed on the corpse. ”Outsiders always saw me as the leader of the Sima siblings. I planned everything. I made the decisions. I led us along the path of cultivation. Yet whenever danger came, it was always Big Brother who stood at the front. It was always he who chose to stay behind and hold the line.”

She inhaled shakily. ”How I wished Big Brother could find a Dao companion and live a quiet, ordinary life.... But he once said, ’You may seem glamorous on the surface, Little Sister, but you have no idea how many are coveting your position. I must cultivate diligently to become your strongest support.’ Well, he wouldn’t say that to me. He was always a man of few words. That line was told to Wenjie in private, when he was drunk.

”Failing to establish his foundation was the most painful moment of his life. Ever since then, he became even more silent and poured all his energy into the Battle Palace. But I never thought he would die at the Jilei Nine Mountains. No... in truth, I should have expected it. How could anyone be exempt from death? Even Initiates can fall. But still...”

Luo Chen pulled her into his arms. He was a man who always knew how to speak before high-tier cultivators, but now found himself utterly speechless before this fragile woman. All he could do was hold her tightly.

Time passed slowly. The candles in the hall flickered gently, their smoke curling toward the ceiling.

Suddenly, a sharp sound echoed as the coffin lid shut. The fragile woman wiped her tears and stepped out of Luo Chen’s embrace. And the moment their eyes met, Luo Chen knew—fragility was gone; the familiar Sima Huiniang had returned.

”Are you okay?” he murmured.

”I’m fine,” she replied firmly. She still sniffed, but her expression was as resolute as could be. ”Everyone dies eventually. Zeng Wen died. Granny Yuan died. So many of the Luo Tian Society’s cultivators died. How could my big brother be an exception?”

She looked at the coffin and continued, her voice unwavering. ”The moment he stepped onto the battlefield of the Jilei Nine Mountains, he was already prepared for this. Life must go on.”

Luo Chen parted his lips but hesitated, momentarily at a loss. This was indeed the Sima Huiniang he remembered: strong, decisive, undeterred.

”President, the Battle Palace cannot go a single day without a leader!”

”Mm.”

”I’ve decided to transfer Bian Zhen to lead the Battle Palace. As for the Medicine Palace, Xiugu can take over. She was already—”

Luo Chen cut her off. ”I’ll do it.”

Sima Huiniang abruptly raised her head and looked at the man before her.

In the dim Grand Hall, this man stood tall and spoke steadily, ”The Battle Palace is the blade of Luo Tian Society. How can it be dull? Wang Yuan is strong, but his obsession with personal cultivation left your brother to step in out of necessity. He did very well, but I underestimated the circumstances. These are not matters a Qi Refinement cultivator can shoulder. Looking at the Luo Tian Society today, there’s only one person I can think of that can wield this blunt sword.”

Sima Huiniang couldn’t help but try to retort. ”But—”

”There is no ’but’,” Luo Chen interrupted, sharp as steel. ”Once we’ve buried these fallen cultivators, I’ll personally head to the battlefield at the Jilei Nine Mountains and lead the Luo Tian Society cultivators!”

”It’s very dangerous there,” she whispered, her voice almost pleading.

Luo Chen shook his head. ”You said it yourself just now. On the path of cultivation, peace and ease were never part of the bargain. Over the years, every major and minor battle fought by the Luo Tian Society has been under my command. Though you’re all capable now, the situation over there is completely different. Wang Yuan is missing, Li Yingzhang is heavily wounded, and Xu Haizhen has lost his primary battle force, his spirit beast. If I don’t go, the remaining Luo Tian Society cultivators might just be treated as cannon fodder. Huiniang, among all the people here on Danxia Peak, can you name anyone who can do this better than me?”

Sima Huiniang was at a loss for words.

Luo Chen understood exactly what troubled her heart. Yet in times of crisis, only duty remained. As the founder of the Luo Tian Society, he could not remain in the city, watching idly from the safety of the peak.

He reached out and brushed her cold cheek. ”Don’t worry. As long as I don’t run into an Adept, no one else can do anything to me.”

The words carried both reassurance and unshakable confidence.

For a moment, her heart settled into calm. She turned her gaze back toward the black coffin. ”Where should my brother and the others be buried?”

”On the rear mountain,” Luo Chen answered solemnly. ”Let them rest with Ink Mulberry at their backs and the Qinhua River before them. Bury them with full honors. For those whose remains were not recovered, erect cenotaphs and provide their families with generous care.”

***

Three days later, joss paper fluttered through the air like blossoms, while faint cries and sobs echoed endlessly in the wind. Across the mountainside, muffled sobs and faint wails echoed without end, carried by the wind like an ancient lament.

In the distance, Luo Chen stood in silence, watching Sima Wenjie kneel before Sima Xian’s grave, unwilling to leave. Suddenly, footsteps approached from behind. It was Min Longyu.

Without turning his head, Luo Chen asked, ”What is it?”

Thump!

Min Longyu dropped to one knee and gritted his teeth. ”President, take me with you!”

News of Luo Chen’s personal expedition to the Jilei Nine Mountains had already spread throughout Danxia Peak during the past three days. Every palace within the Luo Tian Society was operating at full capacity, mobilizing people and resources in preparation. Yet Min Longyu’s name was absent from the list.

That he now came kneeling, imploring in this way, caught Luo Chen entirely off guard. Min Longyu had not belonged to the Luo Tian Society in the beginning; he had even been considered an enemy. Yet the emotions he displayed after this campaign ran deeper than what he’d seen in many of the society’s veterans. Otherwise, he would not have knelt before Luo Chen twice in such a short span.

Though Luo Chen found the display strange, he asked no questions. Whether Min Longyu’s sincerity was genuine or not, his attitude left no fault to be found. He simply refused calmly. ”You won’t be going this time.”

”Why!?” Min Longyu raised his head, eyes wide with disbelief.

”You know very well why,” Luo Chen said evenly. ”If both of us leave, who will defend Danxia Peak?”

”But right now, surely no one would dare provoke the Luo Tian Society. And Director Sima and the other two Initiates are staying behind,” Min Longyu argued.

Luo Chen shook his head. ”It is not about likelihood. It is about peace of mind. With you controlling the grand formation on Danxia Peak, no ordinary cultivator would dare stir trouble. Only with you here can I act without concern.”

At those words, Min Longyu lowered his head, though unwillingness lingered in his eyes.

His feelings toward the cultivators of the Luo Tian Society had grown complicated.

At first, he had joined as a simple transaction; each party took from the other what they needed. But after the Luo Tian Society established itself atop Danxia Peak, his family’s former home, some of those feelings began to change. He had watched with his own eyes as that once-broken land slowly came alive again under the hands of the society’s cultivators. They had labored together, fought together, and often shared their cultivation insights. They were not connected by blood, but in his heart, ”Luo Tian Society” had come to mean ”family.”

A century before, the Min family had fallen, and he had been powerless to stop it. Now, how could he sit idly by and watch the Luo Tian Society fall as well, especially now that he had the power to help?

This war had become one of the most devastating in the society’s history. Though smaller in scale than the Battle of Gaoling Plains, the losses now were all elites. Among them, Min Longyu bore the sin of arrogance. He wanted to make amends but Luo Chen didn’t give him the chance.

”Get up.” Luo Chen sent out a wave of spirit power, lifting Min Longyu to his feet whether he wanted it or not.

Staring at the graveyard nestled beneath the shade of Ink Mulberry trees, Luo Chen said quietly, ”There will always be partings in life and death. You’ve done well; no need to burden yourself with guilt. Compared to avenging the dead on the battlefield, staying here to protect our home is far more important.”

Though Min Longyu remained reluctant, he eventually nodded and accepted Luo Chen’s decision. Still, he wasn’t done.

In front of Luo Chen, he carefully brought out the Wandering Eighteen-Formation Disc. ”President, please take this.”

Luo Chen stared at the enchanted treasure that had once come from his own hands. It had been broken at the time, but after years of joint work by Min Longyu and Duan Feng, it had been restored to perfection. ”Hm? Isn’t this the core of the Seven-Colored Danxia Formation? If I take it, what happens to the Luo Tian Society?”

Min Longyu slowly shook his head.”No. The core of the Danxia Formation consists of Danxia Peak and myself, not this enchanted treasure. If I live, the peak stands. If I fall, the peak falls.”

Luo Chen frowned, staring seriously at him.

Min Longyu took a deep breath and continued, ”The situation out there is growing more twisted. Even Adepts are shamelessly joining the fray. You’re strong, President, but if you encounter such an opponent... You are the soul of the Luo Tian Society. We cannot afford to lose you.”

Luo Chen’s gaze fell on the formation disc and asked, ”This can fight an Adept?”

”If the conditions are right, perhaps it can,” Min Longyu answered.

Under Min Longyu’s hopeful gaze, Luo Chen finally accepted the offering. Just as Min Longyu said, his role in the Luo Tian Society could not be fulfilled by anyone else. Danxia Peak was shrouded in grief and sorrow, but it was steady; had it not been for Luo Chen, it might well have collapsed. Sima Huiniang was capable, but she still lacked something. And whether she’d acquire that missing piece and truly catch up to Luo Chen, only time could tell.

As Luo Chen stroked the Wandering Eighteen-Formation Disc, he listened intently to Min Longyu’s detailed explanation of the deadly formation he had labored years to refine.

When the explanation concluded, Luo Chen suddenly asked, ”Tell me about that night again. I want to know who it was that kept chasing you even after your forces were scattered.”

At the mention of that night, Min Longyu’s expression instantly twisted with fury.

***

”All the necessary supplies are ready. The smaller items have been packed into storage pouches. They’re being handled by Qin Liangchen and Yuan Xiaoyue. The larger cargo has already been loaded onto the Langqi Flying Boat. Once we arrive, we’ll hand everything over to the cultivators of the Ice Fortress. Tantai Jin has already finalized the prices with them.”

High above Danxia Peak, the Langqi Flying Boat hovered in the sky, sails fully unfurled. At over fifty zhang in length, the majestic vessel radiated a sense of grandeur and weight befitting a supreme-grade warship. Its deck was stacked with crates and bundles, lumber, spirit ores, and all manner of supplies. Each item, once delivered, would serve a critical role in the ongoing war effort. Just from this trip alone, Luo Tian Society stood to earn over a hundred thousand spirit stones!

Aside from the goods, the boat carried many cultivators from the Battle Palace and the Outer Hall. From the Golden Palace, Deputy Palace Leader Yuan Xiaoyue had been dispatched to oversee the exchange.

Sima Huiniang looked at Luo Chen with concern. ”These supplies don’t matter as much. What matters most is you.”

Luo Chen chuckled. ”Why so sentimental now? That’s not like you at all.”

Sima Huiniang said no more. Everything worth saying had already been said over the past few days. This was just a moment of parting sentiment, nothing more. She stepped off the flying boat and stood with Gu Caiyi and Murong Qinglian.

”Don’t worry,” Luo Chen called out as he waved at them. ”When the war ends, I’ll bring every one of them back!”

He turned and boarded the Langqi Flying Boat. ”Depart!”

At his command, the colossal vessel rumbled to life, rising slowly before soaring into the distance. Sima Huiniang and the other two remained where they stood, watching his figure fade from sight.

From the heights of Danxia Peak, more cultivators gathered, silently observing the scene. No one knew who shouted it first, but in the next moment, everyone cried out in unison, ”President! You must return safely!”

There was no reply from the boat—only a figure in white with his hands clasped behind his back, standing tall against the wind and gazing far ahead.

Jilei Nine Mountains, Luo Chen is on the way!