An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Chapter 604: Luo Chen’s Boldness, The Way of a Spendthrift

Before a desk, Luo Chen lowered his head with a Golden Bamboo brush in hand, slowly tracing characters across a sheet of rice paper. This was not the usual practice of copying classics for calligraphy or painting, but the drafting of a letter of great importance.

Since Luo Chen transmigrated, he had understood the language of this world through the inherited memories of the body’s original owner. However, his knowledge had been only at the level of recognising words. When it came to writing, he was rather mediocre. Thankfully, due to Min Longyu’s advice, he had taken up a habit of daily practice copying the writings of ancient cultivators. A couple years in, his calligraphy had become passable. Even so, he still weighed each stroke with repeated deliberation.

Only after a long while did he set the brush down. As he waited for the ink to dry, Luo Chen’s mind was already scheming what must be done next. The Flame Alliance had to be dealt with swiftly. They could not be allowed to recover their strength.

A few days had passed since the Falling Cloud Sect carried out a massacre. For them to rest, recuperate, and return to form would take years, but for Luo Chen to reach Golden Core would take decades at best. He could not afford to wait so long. He would strike in the shortest time possible and would not allow them recovery, nor grant the remaining Adepts the time they needed to heal.

Yet to march upon their gates was not so simple. The Luo Tian Society’s strength was still meager. So he would have to rely on external powers. Luo Chen intended to leverage every force within his reach, and the first he turned to was the Ice Fortress, with whom ties already ran deep.

The ink on the letter had dried. Luo Chen placed it into a sealed envelope, then the envelope into a jade box. He wove a sequence of hand seals and, in the blink of an eye, laid dozens of restrictive wards upon it.

***

To the Honorable Adept Ice Torrent, to be opened in person.

Xu Xiaoliu stared at the inscription on the envelope, momentarily stunned.

”Yes. The letter is addressed to the Supreme Elder of the Ice Fortress, Adept Ice Torrent,” Luo Chen confirmed, then added with solemn emphasis, ”But before it reaches her, you must first deliver it to Adept Ruthless.”

Xu Xiaoliu blinked in surprise, but after thinking about it for a moment, he understood. Luo Chen now held the title of guest elder, a position that entitled him to approach the sect leader or the supreme elder directly. Yet his ties were with the Ruthless Lineage directly, and bypassing Fairy Ruthless would be improper. Moreover, with her advancement to mid-stage Golden Core, her position within the Ice Fortress had risen considerably. Hence, she could not be neglected.

The instruction came without hesitation. ”Go. I will await your reply.”

Luo Chen patted Xu Xiaoliu’s shoulder, his eyes filled with trust and encouragement. The man had once been nothing more than a rogue cultivator in Tianlan Immortal City, surviving only through his seniors’ help and taking odd jobs to scrape by in cultivation. But once he joined the Luo Tian Society, his fortunes changed completely. He had quickly become a steward for the Outer Hall. Through his knowledge of the city and diligently serving the society, he had gained abundant resources. Then, he had achieved Perfected Mastery of Qi Refinement and even broken through Foundation Establishment in one try.

Within the Luo Tian Society, he became more and more important and appreciated. And recognition was not limited to the society; it also came from the Xu family, a family of the Ice Fortress, who accepted him fully and hinted at a future role as family head. To put it in mortal terms, he was doing splendidly in terms of both career progression and family relations.

All of it stemmed from one single moment—the moment he met Luo Chen and his fate changed altogether. It wasn’t like they were bosom friends who would lay their lives for each other at the drop of a hat, but Xu Xiaoliu truly held deep affection for the Luo Tian Society. Every task assigned to him was executed flawlessly.

The last time he delivered a letter, he had resolved a crisis for the society. Now, another letter was ready for delivery. At the thought of the responsibility it came with, Xu Xiaoliu drew a deep breath to steady himself. He then carefully placed the jade box with Luo Chen’s handwritten letter into his storage pouch. ”President, I will see this task through without fail!”

”Good.”

After Xu Xiaoliu left, Luo Chen did not get back to his usual tasks; he had more guests to entertain. Before long, Wang Yuan and Chu Kui arrived in his cave residence in response to his summons. The moment they stepped inside, his first words left them stunned.

”I intend to move against the Flame Alliance. Will you stand with me?” Luo Chen asked.

A heavy silence filled the hall for a heartbeat before it was broken by a deep, resonant voice. ”What’s the plan?”

The speaker was none other than Wang Yuan. He’d been shocked numerous times by Luo Chen’s boldness, yet he had always chosen to place his trust in his friend. Perhaps, the coming battle was not about aiding Luo Chen at all, but about fighting for his own sake. After all, the Flame Alliance targeted the Luo Tian Society because Luo Chen had killed Yan Leizi, a key member of the alliance, in order to save Wang Yuan. Without that incident, none of the troubles that followed would have unfolded.

Luo Chen’s heart eased. In the end, Brother Wang was still the Brother Wang he had always known.

Chu Kui gave Wang Yuan a wry smile. ”You agreed quickly enough, but have you considered that’s a major sect we’re talking about?”

Wang Yuan shook his head, offered no rebuttal, and calmly found a chair for himself. His indifferent manner made it seem as if the enemy ahead was not a powerful major sect but some random Qi Refinement rookie.

Such an attitude left Chu Kui speechless for a moment. A hint of hesitation stirred within him. At the ninth stage of Foundation Establishment, he stood at the crucial point of striving toward Perfected Mastery. Although that stage was the strongest of Foundation Establishment, it was also the least suitable time for battle.

On the Jilei Mountains, there had been many Initiates, among whom numerous late-stage grand cultivators. Yet across the six major sects, those truly strong at the ninth stage were few. In truth, most cultivators at that stage had been rogue cultivators seeking secret methods for Core Formation. That had been the reason.

For anyone who reached the ninth stage in Foundation Establishment, as long as lifespan was not an immediate concern, all actions revolved around making the leap to the Golden Core Realm. Moreover, even regardless of one’s own cultivation, merely hearing of a behemoth like the Flame Alliance was enough to make one hesitate.

The last battle had shown the reality. Only a single Golden Core elder had appeared, and none of their disciples had been deployed. Yet relying solely on vassals, they had nearly forced the Luo Tian Society to the brink of collapse.

Now Luo Chen had declared openly that he intended to strike directly at the Flame Alliance’s mountain gate. Given such bold words, it was only natural for Chu Kui to hesitate.

Luo Chen noticed the hesitation and had already expected it. He carefully recounted the reasoning he had previously shared with Sima Huiniang. He had also added some new understandings and ideas he had formed over the past two days.

By the time he finished, Chu Kui could only let out a long sigh. ”By your account, this truly is the best chance for the Luo Tian Society to take its revenge.”

”Indeed!” Luo Chen nodded emphatically. ”And probably the only chance. If we miss this opportunity, then even if we later all succeed in forming our Golden Core, the Flame Alliance’s foundation will still allow them to raise many more Golden Core cultivators. By then, the situation will only grow more complicated, and revenge will be out of reach.”

Chu Kui had already accepted Luo Chen’s reasoning. Even so, hesitation lingered in his eyes. Luo Chen noticed and asked, ”Brother Chu, what do you think of this cave residence?”

Chu Kui was taken aback. From the moment he entered, he had sensed its difference from ordinary second-tier residences. The second-tier cave residences on Tianlan Peak had all been artificially carved out. Only in the cramped cultivation chamber of such a residence did the spirit energy reach the grade appropriate to that tier. Yet from the moment he had entered Cave Residence Jia Three, he could already sense that the spirit energy in the main hall matched that tier. It was easy to imagine that the cultivation chamber would be even richer.

Chu Kui asked with half disbelief, ”You wouldn’t be thinking of lending me this cave residence, would you?”

A smile touched Luo Chen’s lips as he nodded. ”This cave residence does not belong to me, but the owner has temporarily granted it for my cultivation. Until his return, I hold the right to make use of it as I see fit. You have been stuck at the ninth stage of Foundation Establishment for many years. With the aid of even a lesser third-tier spirit land, your progress would quicken by leaps and bounds, and you could reach Perfected Mastery much sooner.”

The words made Chu Kui swallow hard. If Luo Chen was serious about it, it would save him countless years of cultivation. That extra time could be spent fully on testing the Upper Path Core Formation art. The temptation stirred restlessly within him.

He was not far from being completely won over.

”I have already begun making preparations for this battle,” Luo Chen said. ”Three of us are nothing more than a faint sliver of strength. When the time comes to strike the Flame Alliance, the main force will undoubtedly be the Ice Fortress and Green Pill Valley. Both of which are major sects with plenty of Golden Core cultivators among them. Brother Chu, you dared to set foot on the battlefield of Jilei Mountain. Would you truly shy away from this fight, when we have good wind in our sails?”

The earlier words had only stirred Chu Kui’s heart, but that final push tipped him over to a firm decision.

”Fine! In any case, I am a member of the Luo Tian Society. If the President commands, how could I not obey?”

Luo Chen let out a helpless chuckle. If Chu Kui had been this ”obedient” from the start, there would have been no need for so many words of persuasion.

Still, even with both Chu Kui and Wang Yuan, their strength remained woefully insufficient.

In the battle to come, they would likely face Adepts, or at the very least, the surviving Initiates of the Flame Alliance. The former could not be matched, while the latter, though merely remnants, would be numerous enough to overwhelm them by sheer numbers. Even ants, in sufficient numbers, could bring down an elephant, and these people were far from being ants. For that reason, both of their methods had to be strengthened in advance.

”How’s the refinement coming along on that damaged defensive enchanted treasure I gave you?” Luo Chen asked.

Chu Kui could only sigh. ”It’s only been a year or two. How much refinement could I have achieved in that time? I’ve gained only a little control over it.”

Luo Chen nodded. That was within his expectations. ”While you cultivate in this cave residence, keep pressing on with the refinement. And if the treasure still falls short, then make up the difference with external means. I just so happen to have a great many treasures at hand. Choose ten to take with you.”

Chu Kui was dumbstruck. ”I can barely handle two enchanted treasures, and you want me to take ten?”

”Yes. If I weren’t worried you couldn’t handle them, I’d give you a couple dozens.”

Seeing his confusion, Luo Chen smiled. ”I’m not asking you to fully refine them. Simply bind one or two to yourself, and when the battle comes, detonate them to kill the enemy.”

Chu Kui’s eyes went round with shock.

Never in his life had he seen anyone fight like this. Detonating an enchanted artifact or treasure was something he had witnessed before, but never had anyone treated such a method as a regular tactic. Those were piles of spirit stones burning away in an instant! It was the most extravagant, wasteful style of battle imaginable in the cultivation world.

However, Luo Chen was unconcerned. Ten low-grade enchanted treasures cost only a few hundred thousand spirit stones. Part of the reason he had devised such a tactic was simply because he was immensely wealthy, while the other reason came from several conversations he had held with Adepts.

At present, the enchanted treasures flooding the Jade Cauldron Domain were mostly low-grade and of poor quality. They lacked durability and stability, and they broke easily in battle. In truth, treating them as disposable weapons only increased their value. Each detonation could rival a strike from an Adept! Of course, ordinary Initiates could never hope to use treasures in such a reckless manner. But Chu Kui was different—he possessed a Golden Core of unknown origin that he could use himself. With its power, he could detonate the enchanted treasures with ease.

As Luo Chen placed one intact enchanted treasure after another in his hands, Chu Kui grew restless. ”All my life, I’ve run ragged and risked death for the sake of a few spirit stones. And now you want me to squander them like this. It feels worse than killing me!”

Luo Chen let out a chuckle. ”Never fought such a wealthy war before?”

Chu Kui’s breath came rough and fast. ”It’s not that I’ve never fought one; it’s that I never imagined it could happen in this lifetime!”

Luo Chen shook his head and then turned his gaze toward Wang Yuan.

”Brother Wang, I have also prepared something for you,” Luo Chen said.

Wang Yuan frowned. ”More treasures like that?”

”No.”

As Wang Yuan looked on in puzzlement, Luo Chen drew forth a heap of jade bottles from the Jilei Hoard Ring.

”Pills?”

Wang Yuan uncorked one of the bottles, and an overwhelming surge of blood qi rushed out to engulf him. In that instant, his eyes lit up. ”What the... What are these?!”

Seeing his excitement, Luo Chen explained softly, ”This pill is called the Blood-Boosting Pill. It greatly enhances a cultivator’s blood qi. I know you are in the late stages of comprehending blood qi transformations, striving to master Transforming Force. Such training consumes an enormous amount of blood qi.”

Wang Yuan nodded as he curiously picked up one pill. It was a mid-grade pill! Without realizing it, Luo Chen had already reached Perfection level in refining the Blood-Boosting Pill, and his efficiency with raw materials had risen to a new height.

A sudden thought struck Wang Yuan. He held the pill in his hand and asked instinctively, ”What materials did you use to refine this? Why does it feel so much like a Blood Fiend Pill, but purer and far stronger?”

What material? Of course, it was cultivators’ blood essence, and not from Qi Refinement ones, but Foundation Establishment ones. As far as increasing blood qi was concerned, this mid-grade pill far surpassed a top-grade Blood Fiend Pill, and was nearly on par with a supreme-grade one.

Luo Chen marveled inwardly at Wang Yuan’s sharp eye despite his lack of alchemy knowledge. Yet the source of those materials could never be revealed. One more person knowing of that batch of blood essence would mean one more chance of trouble finding him.

Seeing that Luo Chen remained silent, Wang Yuan did not press further. Instead, he sighed. ”With these pills, I can finally break through the bottleneck that has trapped me for so long. Mastery of Transforming Force is within reach, and even glimpsing the level of Pill Force may no longer be impossible.”

The human path of Physique Refinement included methods for developing blood qi, yet in its early stages, it differed little from the demon’s ways and demanded vast resources. Even so, this batch of pills alone would not be enough.

Luo Chen handed him a talisman. ”This is a third-tier Black Armor Talisman. Though it must be activated in advance, its defensive might is extraordinary. It can withstand even a Golden Core strike.”

Wang Yuan hesitated as he looked at it. ”You won’t need it?”

Luo Chen smiled with quiet confidence. ”I took a strike from Qin Tairan’s life-bound enchanted treasure head-on. This talisman will be of little use to me.”

Seeing him go this far, Wang Yuan could hardly refuse. He accepted the goods, just as Chu Kui had accepted his share.

Having seen both of them take what he offered, Luo Chen knew his preparations on this side were as good as he could possibly make them.

He drew in a deep breath. ”From here on, remain in the city and cultivate in peace. Wait for my command.”

”And what about you? Where are you going?”

Luo Chen responded with a faint smile, ”To bring down the Flame Alliance, this is far from enough. There are many places I must go and many things I must do. Within three months at the most, whether we succeed or fail, there will be a result.”

With those words, Luo Chen, who was already fully prepared, departed the cave residence. He rode the clouds along the drifting wind as he descended Tianlan Peak and left the city, speeding into the distance.