An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Fairy Ruthless let out a cold snort and pursued without hesitation.

Fei Ming’s lips twisted into a savage grin. To strike a man already on the run was an opportunity he would never allow to pass. Fairy Ruthless was famed throughout Ice Fortress for her combat prowess, and with her advance, her strength could only be more formidable. Against a cultivator of fire arts, her ice-element power was the perfect counter. Together, she and Fei Ming would ensure Qin Tairan paid dearly today.

Long Quan started forward but paused after a single step. With a shake of his head, he rose back into the skies.

”Dao Scion Tao, I have returned,” he said.

Tao Wan gave a faint acknowledgment, then her gaze shifted to the horizon, where a sluggish escape light struggled across the distance.

Long Quan raised a brow. “Do you want me to kill Qin Junjie?”

Tao Wan shook her head. “Forget it. The Flame Alliance’s Golden Core elders may have no shame, but Green Pill Valley still values its honor. Let him go. He won’t be able to stir up much trouble.”

Long Quan understood at once. With a sweep of his divine consciousness, he located Luo Chen’s position.

”Should we help him?” he asked.

Tao Wan flicked her sleeve. ”No need. With his abilities, unless an Adept intervenes again, he is practically invincible here. Let’s follow them. I want to see for myself what’s gotten into Fairy Ruthless that she’s acting so brutally.”

Long Quan’s eyes lit up. This was exactly to his liking! That old dog Qin Tairan had nearly forced him into disgrace today. If an opportunity arose later, he would gladly strike a blow to vent the anger festering in his chest.

***

Deep within Danxia Mountain, a towering figure slowly shrank and, in the blink of an eye, returned to its normal size. He stepped out from the haze of dust.

Sima Huiniang and Xu Xiaoliu had been waiting outside. When she saw him unharmed, Sima Huiniang let out a long breath of relief.

Xu Xiaoliu immediately spoke, ”Fairy Ruthless had been in seclusion at Ice Fortress to break through to the middle stage of the Golden Core Realm. When I went to report, she was stabilizing her cultivation. That is why I returned late. President, I hope you can forgive me!”

It was indeed late. Months had passed before she was finally brought out. Yet her arrival had come at exactly the right time. So coincidental was the timing, in fact, that Luo Chen very much suspected it had been deliberate.

Even so, he suppressed the irritation weighing on his chest and strode outside. ”You’ve committed no wrong. To bring Fairy Ruthless to our aid counts as a great merit. For now, let us deal with those wretches first.”

Xu Xiaoliu’s face brightened with joy. The hardships he had endured over the past months now felt worth it. To be praised like this by the president meant his suffering had not been in vain.

Sima Huiniang followed closely behind Luo Chen, reporting on the current state of affairs.

”The battle is now under control. With the Flame Alliance elder retreating and Zheng Xian slain by your hand, their vassals are now leaderless. They’re all trying to flee. President, what are your orders?”

Luo Chen’s steps halted, and a flash of ferocity crossed his face.“Kill them all, and hunt down those who run. Do not allow a single one to escape. And if they flee home, then we pursue. Their organizations are to be exterminated and their foundations razed to the ground.”

As Luo Chen’s words fell, energy wings unfurled from his back, and his figure shot forward like an arrow loosed from the bowstring. He plunged directly into the shattered battlefield.

Sima Huiniang froze in place. Never before had she seen Luo Chen consumed by such violent fury.

In the past, even when blood was shed, his actions had always been measured, calculated, and grounded in gain. Now he fought without restraint, driven only by the desire to kill.

A faint thought rose in her mind. Was it the helplessness brought on by facing the Flame Alliance’s Adept? Or was it that Fairy Ruthless’s delayed arrival had left him unsettled? Whatever the answer, the one who could explain was no longer at her side. The question would remain unanswered, at least for the time being.

With a soft sigh, she instructed Xu Xiaoliu to take care of Min Longyu before stepping onto the battlefield herself.

By the time she arrived, the scene was already a one-sided slaughter. Chu Kui, Wang Yuan, Luo Feng, Chen Xiuli, and the Lianyun Sect’s Grand Elder had spread out across the field, cutting down enemies without pause. Kang Dongyue, Xing Zhonghan, Li Yixian, Yue Chong, Qiu Liangyue, and other skilled fighters coordinated with the surviving Initiates of the Luo Tian Society, striking swiftly wherever needed.

Most striking of all was the relentless flash of red light that swept again and again across the battlefield. Each time it passed, screams of cultivators rang out, and each scream marked the fall of yet another Initiate.

Sima Huiniang furrowed her brow. She began rallying the Luo Tian Society’s forces while taking stock of their losses. The final battle had begun quickly and ended just as swiftly. From the instant Luo Chen revealed himself, the tide had shifted. When he drew out the Golden Core elder, the battlefield had even fallen silent for a time. What remained now was nothing more than the aftermath. Yet no matter how quickly it ended, the losses were still staggering.

When Luo Chen emerged, reeking of blood, Sima Huiniang stepped forward to deliver the casualty report.

”Among the Initiates, Bian Zhen, Su Xiaolin, and Gui Jiang are dead. Li Yingzhang is gravely wounded. Xu Haizhen is also badly injured, and his second-tier Plume-Snatching Eagle has been killed. Murong Qinglian suffered backlash from her enchanted treasure and lost a hand. The Ghost General Gu Caiyi was controlling is gone. Bai Meiling vanished into the Soul-Nurturing Banner without a trace. Duan Feng and Min Longyu are unconscious.”

Each name she spoke marked another blow to the Luo Tian Society. The higher the cultivation, the heavier the toll.

Luo Chen listened calmly, but the veins at his temples were clearly throbbing. Zhou Yuanli stepped closer and said softly, ”Among the Qi Refinement cultivators, hundreds are dead or wounded. Qin Liangchen, Liu Qiang, Xiugu, Li Yingjun, Chi Junran, Hao Tianye... have all perished.”

There was no list of those merely injured, nor of the low-stage Qi Refinement cultivators who had fallen. Every name belonged to a late-stage Qi Refinement cultivator, and each was someone Luo Chen had known personally.

When the recitation was finished, Luo Chen closed his eyes. His spirit consciousness spread outward.

He saw Murong Qinglian weeping, clutching Qin Liangchen’s corpse with her single arm. He saw Li Yingzhang and Yuan Dongsheng piecing together a broken body. He saw Zeng Yilong kneeling to gather his mother’s remains. He saw Xu Haizhen, soaked in blood, stroking the trembling feathers of a hatchling eagle in silence...

Farther away, Feng Xia used her self-taught healing arts, tending to Duan Feng’s wounds. Medicine Palace cultivators gathered silently around Bian Zhen’s corpse. Some cultivators of the Luo Network that Luo Chen knew were carrying back Su Xiaolin’s remains—or rather, remain. Nothing was left of him but a severed head.

”How could it be? How could it be?”

Those two murmurs seemed both a question for others and a lament to himself. Losses among Foundation Establishment cultivators had always been within expectation. He knew that the moment he revealed himself, the Flame Alliance’s Adept would move against him. That was why, from the very beginning, he had resolved to strike with all his might to slay as many threatening Initiates as possible in an instant and secure the course of the battle.

Luo Chen’s aim had been clear from the start. He wanted to create a favorable situation for the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Luo Tian Society. Indeed, he had succeeded, cutting down several grand cultivators in an instant and crippling two more, including Zheng Xian, who was vastly higher than him in cultivation.

He had accepted that some familiar faces might fall in the process and had braced himself for that possibility. After all, who in this world could truly escape death? He himself had gambled with his life before, and he had long been ready to do it again this time.

But the losses among the Qi Refinement cultivators were something he could not accept. The Luo Tian Society had held an absolute advantage at that level, and yet the deaths were far too many.

Zhou Yuanli let out a heavy sigh. ”The enemy had too many Initiates. Even one or two going around at random could wreak devastation among the Qi Refinement ranks. Qin Liangchen and Liu Qiang died supporting me, holding down an early-stage Initiate together. Yuan Dongsheng and his wife led the Agriculture Palace to assist Li Yingzhang, but Zheng Kejian was still a mid-stage Initiate. When he struck, he killed more than a dozen in one blow; Li Yingjun was among them. Xiugu was killed while shielding her son, slain by an Initiate. President...”

Luo Chen raised his hand. In the short time that had passed, he already seemed to have accepted the grim reality before him.

”Zhou Yuanli, take some men to clean the battlefield. Gu Caiyi, light the Soul-Gathering Incense and recover as many of the fallen Luo Tian Society cultivators’ scattered souls as you can. Qu Lingjun, carry my token to Tianlan Immortal City. Summon Master Healer Sun and her disciples to treat the wounded. Mi Li, take out every healing pill the Alchemy Palace has stored over the years. Use them all to treat our people. Sima Huiniang...”

The others received their orders and departed at once; only Sima Huiniang remained, awaiting her command.

Luo Chen continued, “I entrust you with Danxia Peak’s affairs. I will leave Chu Kui and Wang Yuan at your disposal as well.”

Sima Huiniang frowned. ”And what about you?”

Luo Chen turned and began walking toward the group of Initiates gathering nearby. ”Some matters, once they have begun, must be brought to an end.”

Sima Huiniang parted her lips as if to speak, then suddenly understood. She said nothing more. What she needed to do was remain at his back and handle matters on his behalf.

***

”Fellow Daoist Luo, congratulations!”

The words spoken fell harshly on the ear, yet Luo Chen knew they were offered with sincerity. The Luo Tian Society had faced enemies several times stronger and still emerged victorious. Even the intervention of a true-blue Adept had failed to overturn the outcome. Such a result was nothing short of astonishing.

Luo Chen looked at the familiar faces gathered before him. He felt no inclination for pleasantries and spoke directly, ”My friends, I regret that your journey here has been for nothing. Why don’t we go out for a walk instead?”

The phrase ”a walk” made Luo Feng pause, but understanding struck him in the next instant. He exchanged a glance with Chen Xiuli, and the two nodded in silent accord.

The others soon realized what Luo Chen intended as well. The battlefield had been thrown into chaos after the Adept’s retreat, and many enemies had managed to escape. Now, Luo Chen meant to hunt them down, to pull weeds up by the roots!

”Indeed, I feel that a walk would do everyone good right now.”

“I’ve long wished to see just how profound the so-called Yuhua True Scripture[1] of the Yuhua Sect really is.”

“They dared to strike first, so we’ll return it twice over. Fellow Daoist Luo, however you wish to act, we’ll follow.”

”I was just saying that the battle ended before I had fought my fill.”

With everyone in agreement, Luo Chen gave a slight nod. Yet the step he was about to take came to a halt. He turned his head toward the rogue cultivators who still lingered nearby, unwilling to leave. His figure slowly rose into the air as he shouted coldly, ”You people are still here? Do you intend to make yourselves comfortable in my home? I don’t recall inviting you!”

The chilling words swept across the land in every direction. Within a few breaths, tens of thousands of cultivators scattered like startled birds, vanishing into the distance. Not a single one remained.

Who would be foolish enough to stay? The Flame Alliance had gathered nearly forty Initiates, including eight late-stage ones, and still failed to bring down the Luo Tian Society. What chance did rabble like them have to linger at Danxia Peak? That would be courting death.

As Luo Chen watched the myriad streaks of light flee across the mountains, some of the weight in his heart eased. But it was not nearly enough.

”My friends, let’s go,” he said at last. ”Our first destination will be Rolling Dragon Ridge.”

Though his words were spoken with calm simplicity, the killing intent within them was so dense that it sent a chill through their bones.

***

That very day, the battle of Danxia Peak, which had raged for seven days, finally ended in victory for the Luo Tian Society.

Yet the chaos blanketing Tianlan Immortal City continued. The source of that chaos was none other than Dan Chenzi, president of the Luo Tian Society.

He personally led the assault on Rolling Dragon Ridge. With unmatched fire spells, he shattered mountains, split the earth, and stirred raging earth fire. The Zheng family, which had stood for three centuries, was erased within moments. The family head, Zheng Kejian, tried to flee but was captured alive by Dan Chenzi.

The destruction of the Zheng family did not mark the end. With a host of other Initiates, Dan Chenzi pressed onward, storming Iron Sword Mountain. Wherever his forces passed, not a single Qi Refinement cultivator survived. The slaughter was so ruthless that even hardened cultivators turned pale at the sight.

And still, it was not the end. The Wei family of Xuchen Mountain was wiped out. The Shen family of Black Panther Mountain saw its grand formation shattered; their Initiates begged for mercy and were slain regardless. The Yuhua Sect had received word early and sent its disciples away; its vast estate was but an empty husk. When Dan Chenzi arrived, he smashed the grand hall with a single palm.

Soon after, his forces swept into Silver Gorge. There, they captured Xiahou Kun as he fled in disgrace. Dan Chenzi gouged out his eyes, Luo Feng beheaded him, and together they plundered the Xiahou estate.

Not far from Silver Gorge was Changliu Gorge. The formation guarding it was destroyed in an instant by three grand cultivators striking together, and the inhabitants ended in no better state than all others.

The upheaval shook countless rogue cultivators throughout Tianlan Immortal City, and the unrest showed signs of spreading further. Opportunists had already begun to stir, ready to fish in troubled waters and seize what they could.

Before they could act, however, the opportunity was gone.

Fairy Ruthless had returned.

***

On Tianlan Peak, in Cave Residence Jia One, Luo Chen stood at the very center of the grand hall. In front of him, three Adepts kept their eyes locked on his figure. The atmosphere hung heavy in the hall, oppressive and restless, as though a fierce argument was ready to erupt at any moment.

1. 真经(Zhen Jing) often refers to a sacred or canonical scripture, believed to be the “true” teaching while all others are false. ☜