An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

”I wonder which major sect they’re from.”

”Fellow Daoist, how can you tell they’re from a major sect?” another inquired skeptically.

”Just look at the design of that flying boat. It’s modeled after that famous enchanted treasure, the Langqi Flying Boat. Even if this is a low-grade version, only a Golden Core major sect could afford such a supreme-grade vessel.”

”Hmm, fair enough,” the cultivator admitted. ”Still, the emblem on the flag looks familiar. Let me think...”

As the Langqi Flying Boat descended and slowed to a halt, countless cultivators nearby paused in their tracks, casting curious glances its way. Chatter rippled through the air. What shocked them wasn’t just the supreme-grade vessel, but the severed head of a Foundation Establishment Initiate hung high upon it. Such brazen theatrics! Only disciples from a major sect could afford to be so bold.

As the crowd gossiped, a figure soared through the air from the rear, heading straight for the boat.

”Wait, isn’t that Duan Feng from the Luo Tian Society?”

”Could it be the disciples from the Ice Fortress?”

Those with sharp eyes recognized Duan Feng instantly, stirring another wave of hushed murmurs. They all knew the Luo Tian Society served under the Ice Fortress, and seeing Duan Feng greet the flying boat with such reverence made it clear someone of significance had arrived.

But when Duan Feng appeared alongside a young man in crimson robes, the crowd fell into silence. The Ice Fortress did have male disciples, but they were few and mostly cultivated using ice or water-element techniques. This man didn’t look like one of them at all.

Suddenly, a cultivator from Green Pill Valley cried out, ”Isn’t that Dan Chenzi, the alchemy prodigy?”

The moment those words were spoken, excitement rippled through the crowd. Dan Chenzi’s fame had surged in recent years. Though born a rogue cultivator, he was heavily favored by Fairy Ruthless of the Ice Fortress. Even though he was not a True Inheritor or even a true member of the Ice Fortress, his reputation exceeded that of most who were.

Among rogue cultivators, Dan Chenzi was practically a legend, spoken of in the same breath as the Dao Scions of the Seven Great Sects. A genius like him, once he formed his core, would undoubtedly become a heavyweight of the Jade Cauldron Domain, respected even by Nascent Soul sects.

Many Initiates, especially fellow rogue cultivators, felt a natural affinity with him. They now looked upon him with reverence and the desire to forge connections. But Luo Chen remained indifferent to their attention. Right now, he only cared about one thing.

”Where are they?”

”Up ahead,” Duan Feng replied. ”Please follow me, President.”

They walked together as the vast landscape of the hundred-li-wide military encampment unfolded before them. Though some traces of nature remained, most of it bore the mark of deliberate construction and powerful spells and formations.

This place was known as Golden Sand Floating Island. Amid the endless, shifting dunes of the desert, the Falling Cloud Sect had forcibly gathered spirit veins through grand methods and carved out a second-tier spirit land. Now, it served as the headquarters of the Four-Sect Alliance. Cultivators returning from the Jilei Nine Mountains front lines would stop here to rest, trade, or train.

Duan Feng guided Luo Chen along and gave an overview as they went. ”To the east lies the Falling Cloud Sect, to the south is Green Pill Valley, and to the west is Ailao Mountain. Our Luo Tian Society resides in the northern floating island, under the Ice Fortress banner.”

As Luo Chen stepped onto the territory, his eyes flickered toward the crystalline white fortress in the center. His eyes narrowed. Could that be the Ice Fortress’s foundational treasure?

”The Ice Fortress has the fewest vassals among the Four Sects or even among the Seven. Most of them are gathered here now,” Duan Feng went on. ”The three great families control the richest spirit land outside of the fortress itself. The Luo Tian Society falls slightly behind. Thanks to Adept Ruthless, we secured a top-grade second-tier location.”

He paused, then added, ”The spirit energy here is decent, which has stirred plenty of complaints from those who weren’t given such a spot. But Tantai Jin silenced most of the dissent. The problem is that now that Wang Yuan is missing, Li Yingzhang is gravely wounded, and Min Longyu is gone... only Xu Haizhen and I remain. The pressure is immense. After all, in rotating battles, the speed of spirit energy recovery is extremely important. The richer the spirit land, the faster the recovery. Two factions have already gone to Adept Moonshade several times to raise the matter, hoping to exchange places with us.”

Luo Chen listened quietly. At the mention of Adept Ruthless intervening on their behalf, a measure of tension eased from his shoulders. Yet when Duan Feng spoke of other factions now coveting their station, his lips curved into a cold smirk.

A bunch of bullies preying on the weak. Where were you when Wang Yuan and Min Longyu were around? If you dare act up now that I’m here, don’t blame me for being merciless.

No... perhaps it’s better if they do come looking for trouble?

The thought stirred in Luo Chen’s heart, and his eyes flashed coldly.

Duan Feng continued his explanation as they flew across the northern sector of the floating island. Their descent drew countless glances from below, but when the cultivators saw the pair land at the Luo Tian Society’s station, the looks in their eyes shifted, carrying shades of unease and speculation.

Reputation had always been their weakness. The Luo Tian Society had once been dismissed as a force with power but no merit, and now, yet another Initiate had appeared among them. Those factions that had been coveting their position would likely not remain quiet for long.

***

”President!”

”President!”

”President!”

One voice after another rose from the surviving Battle Palace cultivators. Only then did Luo Chen’s hurried footsteps begin to slow. As the Qi Refinement cultivators emerged one by one from their camps, the look in his eyes gradually softened.

”You’ve all worked hard.”

Someone stifled a sob, as if those few words alone had brought immense comfort. Another shouted, ”Fighting for the Luo Tian Society is our duty! There’s nothing hard about it!”

Similar sentiments poured forth in succession.

A flicker of surprise passed through Luo Chen. He had expected a defeated force to be dispirited and broken, yet everywhere he turned, he found high morale instead. That kind of spirit was not born merely from his presence. It seemed to have existed even before his arrival. Of course, now was not the moment to dwell on it.

He spoke gently, ”These days must’ve been tough. I’ve brought fine wine and food from the Luo Tian Society to reward everyone. Not only that, I’ll be stationed here for the foreseeable future, fighting side by side with all of you.”

As soon as he said this, a cheer broke out among the crowd. Their already positive emotions soared even higher.

”Take some men outside the floating island to collect the supplies. Assist Yuan Xiaoyue and the Ice Fortress cultivators with the handover, then bring both the people and the goods back,” Luo Chen instructed in a low voice.

Duan Feng gave a firm nod and quickly gathered a small group to depart with him. Meanwhile, Luo Chen walked toward Xu Haizhen, who stood guard outside a stone hut. ”I am sorry about the loss of your spirit beast.”

A bitter smile touched Xu Haizhen’s face. ”As the others said, it was what had to be done. You’d better go in and check on Fellow Daoist Li.”

Luo Chen acknowledged with a quiet hum and stepped into the hut. The moment he entered, a pungent medicinal scent hit his nose.

On the bed, Li Yingzhang struggled to rise. ”President... I...”

”No need to get up. Just lie down,” Luo Chen said with a frown.

Without turning his head, Luo Chen asked evenly, ”What’s the situation?”

Xu Haizhen immediately replied, ”Little Li was injured by a True Inheritor of the Flame Alliance. The method used was different from ordinary enchanted artifacts. What struck him carried Earth Fire Fiend Qi!”

The mention of Earth Fire Fiend Qi sent a jolt through Luo Chen’s heart. That name was all too familiar. Whether it was refining Blood-Burning Pills or cultivating Physique Refinement in the past, he had used plenty of Earth Fire Fiend Qi, and with familiarity came a deep understanding of its dangers.

Strictly speaking, Earth Fire Fiend Qi didn’t belong exclusively to first-tier materials. Its tier depended entirely on the quality of the earth fire. The higher the grade of the earth fire, the higher the grade of the fiend qi it produced.

The Flame Alliance, as one of the foremost artifact-creating organizations in the Jade Cauldron Domain, had access to countless earth fires of varying grades. They had even cultivated a Sourceless Flame known as the Withering-Flourishing Fire. Their disciples were all proficient in fire-element arts, and it wasn’t uncommon for them to wield Earth Fire Fiend Qi in combat. In combat, this fiend qi could not only erode the spirit essence of enchanted treasures but also deal immense damage to a cultivator’s body.

Back then, Mi Shuhua had once warned him that if fiend qi invaded the body, it would sever one’s roots and destroy the foundation of cultivation itself. Were it not for his practice of the Divine Breaker of Malevolence and the assistance of Wang Yuan, Luo Chen would never have dared to temper his body with such qi. Now, hearing that Li Yingzhang had been wounded by Earth Fire Fiend Qi, how could he not be alarmed?

Xu Haizhen continued, ”That True Inheritor was extremely proficient in using Earth Fire Fiend Qi. He not only severed Little Li’s connection to the Hornless Dragon Sword and took it away, but he also embedded a strand of the fiend qi directly into his body. This corruption is hard to expel. After we got back here, Duan Feng sent word in your name to both the Ice Fortress and Green Pill Valley, requesting two healers for treatment. One used an ice-element method to suppress it, the other used pills to try and cure it. Yet even with both combined, Little Li’s recovery has been painfully slow.”

Luo Chen listened quietly, his attention fully fixed on Li Yingzhang. The young man tried to maintain composure, but the slight tremor at the corners of his eyes betrayed the truth. The damage was worse than he wished to show.

Xu Haizhen let out a weary sigh. ”It’s only because Little Li’s foundation is terrifyingly solid that he’s still alive. Anyone else would never have lasted long enough for treatment.”

Luo Chen nodded. He knew a few things about Li Yingzhang’s foundation. The man had always been steady, and his cultivation was truly deep and stable.

He stepped forward and stood at Li Yingzhang’s side. He said softly, ”Bear with it for a moment, I’ll take a look.”

Behind him, Xu Haizhen was briefly startled. Does the President know healing arts?

Then the thought of Gu Caiyi surfaced. Rumor said she had been cured by the President himself and had even successfully reached the Foundation Establishment not long ago.

Since ancient times, alchemy and healing had always been intertwined. An exceptional alchemist was often also a skilled healer or, at the very least, a capable apothecary. And Luo Chen was a powerful alchemist who had outshone even the Seven Prodigies of Green Pill Valley. For him to understand medicine was only natural.

Li Yingzhang did not resist. He calmed his spirit, closed his eyes, and allowed Luo Chen to examine him.

A vast surge of spirit consciousness gently entered his body. It flowed through flesh, bones, meridians, and deep into his sea of qi, searching every corner with quiet precision.

Only after a long while did Luo Chen finally withdraw his spirit consciousness. He now understood why Mi Shuhua had once said that fiend qi invading the body meant severed roots and destroyed cultivation foundations. And he finally understood why Xu Haizhen had marveled at Li Yingzhang’s terrifyingly solid cultivation foundation.

As Luo Chen examined him, he discovered that Li Yingzhang’s meridians were astonishingly broad, and his sea of qi deep and expansive. It was structured like the legendary Ninefold Heavens.[1] Compared with the average Initiate, Li Yingzhang stood on an entirely different level. In fact, even when measured against Luo Chen, he was just slightly inferior. By all appearances, his original foundation might not have been any weaker than Luo Chen’s at all.

The Ninefold Origin Cycle and the Ninefold Reversion Sutra—to forge one’s foundation for the Great Dao with such a physique and such a technique was truly terrifying. No wonder Li Jinhuang, even while painfully aware that his days were numbered, had never once pressured his grandson to attempt Foundation Establishment. With such an innate constitution, Li Yingzhang was undoubtedly a rare genius in the path of cultivation. In fact, Li Jinhuang might even have underestimated his grandson’s true potential!

Unfortunately, the Earth Fire Fiend Qi that had invaded his body had already destroyed at least ten percent of his foundation. Worse still, it continued to gnaw at him, threatening to bring down the nine-floor tower he had built.

Yet, under Luo Chen’s inspection, he saw that bundles of ice-element spirit power had surrounded the scattered pockets of Earth Fire Fiend Qi within Li Yingzhang’s body. Only because of this had the collapse of his foundation been temporarily halted. Unfortunately, this method was only treating the symptoms, not the root; if the fiend qi wasn’t purged from his body, its lingering presence would eventually harm Li Yingzhang deeply.

The pills of Green Pill Valley are indeed exceptional. Not only do they help heal injuries, but they also seem to be actively fusing with the ice-element spirit power to wear away the fiend qi. This method is quite refined! It seems Green Pill Valley has long studied how to deal with cases of fiend qi invasion.

Luo Chen mused silently, a thoughtful look surfacing on his face. On the bed, Li Yingzhang weakly asked, ”President, is there still hope for me?”

”Let me think it over for a bit,” Luo Chen replied.

Seeing Luo Chen frowning in contemplation, Li Yingzhang’s face revealed a trace of despondency. Even the top medical experts from Green Pill Valley and the Ice Fortress had failed to resolve the problem of the fiend qi in a short time. The president wasn’t even a specialist; how could he possibly have a solution? He said in frustration, ”If I can’t be saved, then I’ll have to entrust the Li family to you, President...”

”Why are you just like your grandfather, always so eager to entrust your whole family to someone? If you get a wife and child, are you going to entrust them to me, too?” Luo Chen suddenly scolded him.

Li Yingzhang was stunned, and then his face flushed red.

Luo Chen chuckled. ”You worry too much. Even if I cannot find a solution, following the methods of those two healers will still allow you to recover within ten years. It won’t hinder your cultivation much.”

”Ah...” Li Yingzhang opened his mouth, his cheeks reddening even more.

Xu Haizhen burst into hearty laughter. ”See? I told you! You overthink everything, Little Li. Since the President has said so, focus on your recovery.”

A soft hum escaped Li Yingzhang as he lowered his head in embarrassment.

Just then, a commotion erupted outside the residence.

A sharp glint flashed across Luo Chen’s eyes, and he strode out without hesitation. Xu Haizhen seemed to realize something, and his expression darkened as well. ”Little Li, stay there. The President and I will handle this.”

With that, he rushed out the door.

Meanwhile, Li Yingzhang seemed to understand what might be happening outside. Despite the warning, he struggled to get up.

***

”Senior Qu, is something wrong?”

”Wrong?” The middle-aged cultivator sneered. ”Merely an old debt that needs to be settled. Step aside, little man, and fetch your leader.”

”This is the Luo Tian Society’s camp. Entry is forbidden without formal notice!”

The man’s expression turned cold. ”If you try to stop me again, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

As his words fell, a surge of violent energy burst from his body. The oppressive force struck so heavily that Bu Junjie stumbled backward.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Each retreating step left deep imprints into the stone slabs beneath his feet. Bu Junjie eventually came to a halt, and just as he was about to fall, a gentle tide of spirit power caught him, steadying him and dissolving the pressure.

”President!” Bu Junjie cried out in relief.

From behind him, a figure slowly stepped forward. He stood as straight as a pine, and even though his aura blazed like the sun, his eyes remained as cold and unfathomable as a frozen abyss. Wherever his gaze swept, a chill rippled through the hearts of everyone present.

1. The term 九重天 (jiu chong tian) is used metaphorically to describe progressively higher and more profound realms or stages of cultivation. In this context, it refers to a supreme level of achievement. ☜