An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

”Fellow Daoist Kang, after so many years apart, your bearing has only grown more distinguished!”

”Haha, Fellow Daoist Luo! They say that after being apart for three days, one must view another with fresh eyes. I always knew you were no ordinary man. Dahe Market could never hold you, and neither could Tianlan Immortal City!”

Inside Luo Tian Society’s Grand Hall, two men conversed with great delight.

”This time, I truly owe you,” Luo Chen said sincerely.

During the battle, the Luo Tian Society had been facing far more than the pressure from the Flame Alliance’s vassals and Qin Tairan. The countless rogue cultivators who had gathered looked like idle spectators, but if the society’s defenses had collapsed, they would have descended like vultures. Nothing better illustrated the saying that when the wall seems about to fall, everyone jumps in to push it down.

The small maneuvers Kang Dongyue had carried out beyond the battlefield might have seemed insignificant, yet they had spared the Luo Tian Society a great deal of trouble, and he did not claim credit.

”Nothing more than a few words of persuasion, hardly worth mentioning!”Kang Dongyue said with a laugh as he recalled the time Luo Chen had once bid on a life-saving spirit medicine for him.

Luo Chen smiled in return.

Soon after, Kang Dongyue revealed the true reason for his visit. Luo Chen listened calmly and then asked, ”Glowing Stream Market?”

Kang Dongyue sighed. ”Yes, Glowing Stream Market was infamous for its raiders even in years past. In recent years, the Bai family somehow acquired a secret art that elevated the spirit land to the second tier. They have produced a second Initiate within their family and even recruited another Initiate as a retainer. Now they stand as the undisputed overlords of Glowing Stream Market.”

Luo Chen fell into thought.

Kang Dongyue continued, ”If it were just their family becoming more prosperous, I would not mind. But they have blocked the Kang family’s trade route to Tianlan Immortal City.”

”You are vassals of the Sword Sect. Do they truly dare target your caravans?”Luo Chen asked with surprise.

Kang Dongyue shook his head. ”The Bai family has not shed their nature; once a raider, always a raider. Once they alter their appearances, even if they plunder us, we can provide no proof. And even if we could... The Sword Sect is too far away from our Taishan Market.”

Luo Chen understood his intention. ”So, you intend to use the Luo Tian Society’s strength to take care of the Bai family?”

”Exactly!”Kang Dongyue did not mince words and spoke plainly.

Luo Chen pondered for a while before saying slowly, ”This is something we can help with. However...”

At this point, he sighed. ”The state of the Luo Tian Society is plain to you. Our halls are full of wounded, and many Initiates remain injured. In the short term, we are not fit to fight outside.”

Kang Dongyue nodded repeatedly. ”I understand. I can afford to wait!”

You can afford to wait?

Luo Chen studied him for a moment and understood what his interlocutor was truly after. He wanted more than the safety of his trade routes; he wanted to get his hands on the Bai family’s second-tier spirit land.

In the past, the Bai family’s so-called second-tier spirit land had been merely a pseudo–spirit land, sustained only by the presence of that massive ancient cypress. Now, however, it had become a true second-tier spirit land. The Kang family had once shared a second-tier land with the Huo family, but when the Three-Legged River-Swallowing Toad destroyed the Huo family, Taishan Market’s land was ruined along with their territory. Clearly, the Kang family intended to shift their base to new ground!

For the Luo Tian Society, this did not mean all that much; Luo Chen could just send two or three Initiates and the deal would be done. For the Kang family, however, it was a matter of survival, the difference between decline and prosperity. No wonder Kang Dongyue had lingered at Danxia Peak and insisted on speaking with him face to face.

Luo Chen also recalled that six or seven years ago, the Kang family had repeatedly invited the Luo Tian Society to set up a branch at Taishan Market to counter the Bai family. Seen in this light, the matter had clearly been planned long in advance, not born of sudden thought.

After some thought, Luo Chen said, ”A few years from now, when the Luo Tian Society has regained its strength, I will send someone over. They will cooperate with your family as needed. But speaking of that... What about the Yu family?”

The question caught Kang Dongyue off guard; he was not entirely sure why Luo Chen would bring them up. Still, since it had been asked, he provided an account of their situation.

After confirming how things stood, Luo Chen gave a faint nod. He had never forgotten which factions had taken part in the battle at Gaoling Plains. It was the Huo family, the Bai family, the Dajiang Gang, the rogue cultivator Tu Shan, as well as Yu Rou, that woman who commanded spirit beasts. Now the Huo family was gone, the Dajiang Gang had scattered, and Tu Shan had likely long reincarnated. But the Bai family and Yu Rou remained, and given the chance, he would not let those old debts go unpaid.

”Fellow Daoist, the conversation tonight has been enjoyable. I look forward to hosting you at Taishan Market next time,”Kang Dongyue said with a smile.

”Most certainly!”Luo Chen replied.

Kang Dongyue departed with a smile. His plans were already set. By the next day, he would leave Tianlan Immortal City and return to Taishan Market.

As some chose to go, others chose to remain.

Not long after, Luo Chen reached an agreement with Xing Zhonghan. The former head of the Xing family of Sky Blade Peak owed his life to Luo Chen, who had once aided him in destroying their rivals, the Ying family of Sky Eagle Peak. In that battle, Xing Zhonghan had fought with unrestrained fervor. Then, to avoid becoming a burden to the Luo Tian Society, he had quietly departed. For years, he sought hidden places to cultivate, not even participating in the battles at the Jilei Nine Mountains.

Yet when word reached him that the Luo Tian Society had been attacked, he hurried to their aid, and once the battle concluded, he expressed his wish to join the society. On this matter, Sima Huiniang could not make the decision alone. While she oversaw most of the personnel affairs within the Luo Tian Society, anything concerning Initiates required Luo Chen to make the final decision.

”Fellow Daoist, if you are willing to join the Luo Tian Society and pursue the Great Dao with us, then I welcome you wholeheartedly,”Luo Chen declared.

”In that case, President, I shall trouble you in the future!”Xing Zhonghan replied with a broad smile. Luo Chen returned his grin.

The battle had left the Luo Tian Society with heavy losses, yet those losses had also brought tremendous gains. What they had won was status. That status did not come from Luo Chen alone but from the formidable strength the entire society had displayed in the struggle. With such standing, new followers would naturally be drawn to their banner.

In the past, the Luo Tian Society could only attract a few rogue cultivators at the Qi Refinement Realm. This time, they had already gained Master Healer Sun of the Sun Medical Hall, and now Xing Zhonghan. And this was only the beginning.

Once the Luo Tian Society regained its full strength, many more powers would seek alliance with them. Such momentum could never be achieved through farming or trade alone. One had to fight real battles with sword and spear, leaving a lasting impression, to draw others to their banner.

On that very night, the people Luo Chen had to meet extended beyond Kang Dongyue and Xing Zhonghan. Qiu Liangyue, representing Adept Light Frost’s lineage of the Ice Fortress, had also come forward, her presence serving as a gesture of goodwill from a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator. Yue Chong, head of the Yue family of Shaohua Mountain, appeared as well, although not out of friendship.

As payment for his actions, Luo Chen handed him a jade scroll taken from the storage pouch of a Sword Sect late-stage Initiate during the battle at the Jilei Nine Mountains.

”This scripture is rather unorthodox, but it will greatly strengthen my Yue family,”Yue Chong said. ”President Luo, I am grateful.”

With the sword scripture in hand, Yue Chong departed with satisfaction.

By then, Luo Chen had nearly finished meeting all those he needed to. The sky was already growing light. He sat alone in the Grand Hall, exhaustion written on his face, and closed his eyes to rest. For days, he had gone without pause—fighting battle after battle, scheming and strategizing, negotiating among Core Adepts, treating the wounded, and exchanging favors for benefits....

Anyone else would have collapsed long before, yet Luo Chen had relied on sheer willpower to hold himself together. The moment he allowed himself to rest, exhaustion surged over him like a tide.

By the time he awoke, the world outside lay once more beneath a pale moon and scattered stars. A thin blanket had been draped over him, and the gesture brought a quiet warmth to his heart. The fabric still carried the faint trace of Huiniang’s aura.

He lifted the thin blanket aside and rose to his feet for a stretch. A chorus of crackling bones rolled through his body like thunderous drums, and his formidable physique restored him with boundless vitality.

As he stepped out of the Luo Tian Society’s Grand Hall, a graceful figure hurried toward him.

”President, you’re awake!”Huiniang called out.

”Huiniang, let’s go for a walk,”Luo Chen said.

”Sure..”

Together they strolled along the path, the cool night breeze brushing past. The gentle wind carried away the stench of blood and battle. It soothed the restlessness in Luo Chen’s heart. Their words were few, but each carried weight.

”Has Min Longyu awakened?”Luo Chen asked.

”He has,”Huiniang replied.

”And Li Yingzhang?”

”He’s still under treatment. But Master Healer Sun said his foundation is solid. He should recover quickly.”

”And Murong Qinglian...”

”I know. I’ll assign more people to take care of her,”Huiniang assured him.

”She isn’t fit to work in her current state. Arrange a long leave for her,”Luo Chen instructed.

”The Merit Palace cannot remain without a leader even for a day. I intend to have Wen Jie act as the Palace Leader for now.”

”Mm. From now on, you may handle such appointments as you see fit. By the way, hasn’t Xu Haizhen’s ten-year term already expired?”

”Quite a while ago.”

”And he hasn’t mentioned leaving?”

”No. I suppose he’s grown accustomed to life here.”

”Then allocate him an extra ten percent of the Beast Palace’s revenue.”

”Wouldn’t that be too much?”

”These years, he has done far more than his duty. He lost his white crane fighting for the society, and now the Plume-Snatching Eagle he painstakingly raised has also died. We should compensate him in some way.”

”Alright, I’ll follow your decision.”

”Our spirit stone reserves are nearly depleted, aren’t they?”Luo Chen asked.

”Yes. But don’t worry. I have already made arrangements. Some suppliers will allow delayed payments, and I’ve settled accounts early with the distributors. For now, there will be no issue.”

”How long until recovery?”

”In a year, we can regain stability and in three years, we will return to our former peak. Give me ten years, and the Luo Tian Society will stand as the wealthiest force in Tianlan Immortal City.”

”Alright, once matters here are settled, I may enter seclusion for a time. Perhaps a year, perhaps five. I cannot say for certain.”

”Go without worry. The society’s affairs will be safe in my hands.”

”You’ve worked hard,”Luo Chen said softly.

”There you go again!”she gently chided him.

Their steps came to a halt at the edge of a cliff. Luo Chen lowered his gaze to the shadowed foothills beyond the mountain. This place served as the burial ground for the Luo Tian Society’s fallen cultivators—a resting place among green hills, a final abode for the society’s heroes.

Soon, new graves would be added to this sacred ground.

***

Three days later, Danxia Peak was sealed off, refusing all visitors. White mourning banners fluttered overhead while paper offerings drifted through the air. The wail of suona horns[1] and the beat of gongs mingled with sobbing voices that carried a weight of grief and sorrow.

The funeral lasted seven full days[2]. After the period of mourning, the burials took place on an auspicious date. A vast crowd gathered at the burial ground. Under Luo Chen’s lead, coffins were lowered one after another, tombstones rising in their place.

By one fresh grave stood Wang Yuan and his disciple. Zeng Yilong, whose body was tempered through years of training, let his still-fragile soul out for all to see. He knelt in the dirt, whispering tearfully, ”Mother... Mother...”

Zhou Yuanli rushed over, ignoring the fatigue left behind by long days of hard labor. Before the grave of his friend Liu Qiang, he poured three cups of wine[3], lit incense, and made a vow that one of his sons would take the Liu surname and continue Liu Qiang’s line.

Su Xiaolin lived alone and, through the nature of his work, was not close to many people. He seemed to have no one to mourn him. Yet before his tomb lay offerings of fruit, incense, and candles, placed in silence by the cultivators of the Luo Network.

Murong Qinglian, who had been numb for days, suddenly broke into sobs, clutching Qin Liangchen’s tombstone as tears poured down. The poise once expected of the Merit Palace Leader was nowhere to be seen, but in this place, no one mocked her. The same grief was mirrored on every face here.

Luo Chen had retreated to the rear of the crowd. His face was tight, and his lips had been bitten pale. At his sides stood Sima Huiniang and Gu Caiyi, both sensing the faint tremors running through his body.

”President, what’s wrong?”Gu Caiyi asked softly, her voice laced with worry.

Luo Chen shook his head, lips still pressed tight, and said nothing.

A trace of regret welled in his heart. He regretted not sparing Yan Leizi; perhaps Di Wanyun would not have been provoked to such an extent. He regretted hiding in the shadows; perhaps he should have stepped forward earlier to bear the pressure of the Flame Alliance’s Adept. He regretted some of his earlier actions; perhaps he had been too hasty in binding himself to Huiniang and Caiyi. Years later, it could be he who wept before their graves.

For a long time, those thoughts consumed him. At last, Luo Chen shook his head sharply.

There is no need for so much regret.Life rarely goes the way people wish; eight or nine times out of ten, it brings disappointment. In the end, it all comes down to one truth: I’m still not strong enough. If I had the strength, would those people have dared to invade us? If I had the strength, my rise would lift everyone around me. If I had the strength, it would be my enemies kneeling in grief before the graves, not me.

Crack!

His joints rang, and his palm finally loosened. Without another word, Luo Chen turned and departed.

These matters here were concluded, but the road ahead was long. He could not allow his steps to falter—not for his own sake, and not for those who had placed their lives and hopes upon him.

1. Traditional double-reed brass horns with a distinctive high-pitched and very loud sound, usually used outdoors. They are commonly used in festivals, religious rituals, and so on. ☜

2. The reason for this specific number differs depending on Confucian, Daoist, or Buddhist traditions. In Daoist and Buddhist practice, the spirit is believed to undergo different trials or judgments in the netherworld at seven-day intervals. The full mourning period traditionally stretched across seven cycles (49 days), but the first seven days are crucial in Daoism because it is the moment when the deceased’s spirit is closest to the living, and the first checkpoint of judgment in the netherworld. ☜

3. Again, this varies in different traditions, but in Daoist funerary custom, three cups of wine are offered as a ritual act of completeness. The number three symbolizes Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, and also corresponds to the three souls that were believed to guide the spirit of the deceased in the afterlife. ☜