An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Chapter 607: Heavenly Mountain’s Ice Torrent; Skyfire’s Precious Dragon

The cold wind howled, and the land lay blanketed in snow. Few cultivators knew that even in this golden autumn of the ninth month, a corner of the Jade Cauldron Domain remained locked in winter’s grasp. Yet this desolate-looking place was actually not desolate at all.

Amid the endless snow, streaks of light occasionally flashed across the sky, hinting at the presence of life. As the lights returned, a place with architecture starkly different from the rest of the Jade Cauldron Domain gradually came into view.

The Ice Fortress rose tall, round at the base and sharp at the peak. From the outermost layer inward, towering castles forged from glacial ice rose higher and higher. Several female cultivators descended from the sky and entered one of the fortresses to report in.

”Daoist Uncle, this is a second-tier snow fox the three of us killed together. It took us a lot of effort,” one of them said.

”That’s right, Daoist Uncle, you’d better grant us some extra merit points this time!” another chimed in.

”What? The fur is still intact. Why are you deducting thirty percent of our merit? Daoist Uncle, you’re too stingy.”

The three early-stage Initiates left the Miscellaneous Hall still grumbling. Each wore a look of dejection. They had gone to great lengths to kill a second-tier snow fox, yet they had received very little merit. At this rate, how long would it take to save enough for a Jade Dew Pill?

”They say the Jade Dew Pill is especially effective for us ladies. I really want to try it!” one said eagerly.

”That’s not just a rumor. Do you know Junior Sister Shi Lan? She’s only been in Foundation Establishment for about ten years, but she has already reached the middle stage. It was all thanks to the large supply of Jade Dew Pills she obtained.”

”Hiss! Is it really so incredible?”

”Well, of course, it’s not only the Jade Dew Pills. Junior Sister Shi Lan has Senior Sister Tantai’s favor and the support of her family elders, and she’s also skilled at making money. That’s how she reached the fourth stage so quickly.”

”Plenty of others have similar conditions. I’d say the main factor is still the Jade Dew Pills.”

”Too bad Jade Dew Pills are now reserved only for True Inheritor disciples, and not just any, only the most favored ones under the elders.”

”That’s what puzzles me. Shi Lan wasn’t anything special at first. So how did she manage to receive Jade Dew Pills ahead of everyone else?”

”I can tell you that. She’s on good terms with the guest elder who refines the Jade Dew Pills. He even sent her a congratulatory gift personally after she broke through to Foundation Establishment.”

When they mentioned the guest elder who refined the Jade Dew Pills, one name surfaced in their minds—Dan Chenzi!

He was the master alchemist who had outshone the new generation of Green Pill Valley’s Seven Prodigies, his name resounding across the Jade Cauldron Domain! It was even rumored that he possessed terrifying combat abilities and had once slain a Golden Core Adept while still only at the Foundation Establishment Realm!

A man of such caliber inspired awe merely by the mention of his name or his deeds. Had he been a disciple of a great sect, such talent might have been expected. Yet he was born a rogue cultivator, and that fact only made him even more admirable.

”I’ve always heard he was supposed to come to our Ice Fortress, but I’ve never seen him. I’d love to witness his presence just once!” one of them exclaimed.

”Witness his presence? More like you want to cozy up to him for a few bottles of Jade Dew Pills!” another teased her.

”You brat, you mean you don’t? You’d probably cling to him even faster than I would!”

”Heehee...”

Their laughter swept away much of the gloom that had weighed on them earlier. With their task completed, the three had a long period of rest ahead and decided to wander idly through the sect.

By the time they reached the foot of Heavenly Mountain, their gazes lifted upward, eyes brimming with envy. This mountain was the only third-tier spirit land within the territory of the Ice Fortress. Smaller hills stretched outward from its slopes and formed scattered second-tier spirit lands, each with a corresponding cave residence. Yet even those second-tier cave residences were beyond the reach of ordinary Foundation Establishment disciples.

Only those who advanced to the rank of True Inheritor were automatically granted one of such cave residences. Others had to rely on the annual rotation to enjoy the blessing of the spirit land for a short while or to exchange a vast amount of merit points for limited cultivation time within those lands.

The foundation of the Ice Fortress could never truly match that of the major sects within the Jade Cauldron Domain. They had nurtured nine Golden Core cultivators and that exhausted their resources altogether, leaving no further room for growth.

Suddenly, one of the female disciples spotted a young man standing atop a peak with his hands clasped behind his back.

”Who is that senior brother? I’ve never seen him before,” she asked in surprise.

”That’s odd. I haven’t seen him either. He looks young, and his cultivation isn’t that high. How could he be using a second-tier mid-grade cave residence?” another remarked.

”Wait, I think I know him. His name is Xu-something. Isn’t he one of Elder Dan Chenzi’s subordinates?”

At these words, a strange light flickered in all three of their eyes.

”Why don’t we go up and greet him?” one suggested.

”I am afraid that might be inappropriate,” another hesitated.

”What’s improper about it? He’s standing outside the cave, it’s not like he’s in seclusion. It’s the perfect chance to chat and... exchange cultivation insights.”

”Let’s go. I’m curious to hear what the cultivation world outside the Ice Fortress is like.”

Thus, while Xu Xiaoliu waited in vain for a reply from the Ice Fortress higher-ups, he unexpectedly found himself surrounded by three beautiful female cultivators eager to strike up a lively conversation.

***

On the heights of Heavenly Mountain, two figures glanced down at the scene below without much concern. Their eyes lifted soon after, fixed on the vast snowstorm rolling endlessly across the horizon.

Within that boundless storm, a faint black line flickered in and out of sight, revealing a continuous stretch of towering, snow-covered peaks. That distant range was none other than the Great Snow Mountains; within stretched chains of mountains lay hidden within the storm. In that frozen wilderness, legend spoke of the existence of a fourth-tier spirit land.

”The Falling Cloud Sect’s promise cannot be trusted,” came a soft and elegant voice.

Amid the bleak winds, the voice rang out like the song of a sea sprite. The sound was so entrancing it felt almost unreal. And it was not only her voice that enchanted; her face held a beauty so rare that even Adept Yinyue of the Ice Fortress, famed for her charm and allure, appeared dim in comparison.

Still, what commanded respect was not her appearance, but her strength. She was Fairy Ice Torrent, Supreme Elder of the Ice Fortress, a ninth-stage Golden Core cultivator. Rumor claimed that she stood on the very brink of Perfected Mastery, just a single step away from the Nascent Soul Realm.

Fairy Ruthless frowned when she heard these words. ”Could it be that the Falling Cloud Sect’s promise to help us seize the Great Snow Mountains was nothing more than empty talk?”

A faint smile touched Fairy Ice Torrent’s lips. ”They never said when they would help us. It could be ten years, a hundred, or even a thousand years from now. And by then, you and I will have already passed on. Do you truly believe the Ice Fortress could ever return to the height it enjoys today?”

Nine Adepts had already pushed the sect to the limit of what its foundation could sustain. Any further progress was impossible. Even if one or two more Adepts appeared, the sect could not afford them. With the insufficient depth of its heritage, the Ice Fortress simply lacked the strength to support so many.

In the end, the struggle for scarce resources would only turn inward, leaving the sect itself torn apart. Had this not already begun? Within just a century, nine Adepts had splintered into five factions. In any other great sect, such a division would have been nothing short of laughable.

”Then what should we do?” Fairy Ruthless asked worriedly.

If the Ice Fortress could not expand, then once the next generation—disciples like Bingpo and Tantai Jin—formed their cores, turmoil within the sect was inevitable.

Fairy Ice Torrent pressed her lips together.

Her slender fingers held a sheet of rice paper. Under the cold sunlight, the words upon it seemed to retain the lingering warmth of the hand that had written them.

”Little Rou, isn’t this Dan Chenzi delivering firewood in the snow?”

At the intimate address, Fairy Ruthless stiffened, and she said softly, ”Do you mean to help Luo Chen?”

”He is a guest elder of the Ice Fortress. He was bullied by those stronger than him. Should we not help?” Ice Torrent countered.

Her graceful eyes lingered on Fairy Ruthless for a moment before she shook her head. ”Little Rou, with that temperament of yours, I truly cannot understand how you keep crossing paths with genius alchemists like Shang Hu and Luo Chen.”

”Don’t mention that man!” Fairy Ruthless snapped.

”Hehe, sure, I won’t mention him.” Fairy Ice Torrent smiled softly and unfurled the letter in her hand, the writing upon it clear. ”Look here. A hundred bottles of Jade Dew Pills each year was never his true limit. For the sake of revenge against the Flame Alliance, he now offers to refine one thousand bottles for us every year. A full thousand and all of them top-grade! You know better than me what that means.”

Fairy Ruthless’s long brows quivered. ”If we distribute these pills evenly, it could increase the speed of the cultivation of more than a hundred Foundation Establishment disciples. But if we reserve them for a select few, we could raise ten True Inheritors to Perfected Mastery of Foundation Establishment. With our support, we might even push a single gifted disciple to that level within ten years and give them a chance to break through to the Golden Core Realm.”

Fairy Ice Torrent gave a soft click of her tongue and shook her head with a sigh. ”It seems you have not neglected your knowledge of alchemy. A skilled alchemist can indeed revive a sect. This time, you have done well.”

Praised by the senior sister who was at the same time both teacher and a mother figure to her, Fairy Ruthless allowed a rare smile to surface. But before it could fully bloom, Fairy Ice Torrent sighed again. ”It is still not enough. For talents like Dan Chenzi, ordinary benefits alone will never suffice.”

”I have given him many benefits,” Fairy Ruthless muttered.

”But he has been wronged many times. And more often than not, he doesn’t come to talk to you about it.” Fairy Ice Torrent gave a playful blink. ”So tell me, do you really think you’ve done well?”

Fairy Ruthless remained silent. Some truths could not be spoken so plainly. Her feelings toward Luo Chen were complicated. For one, she despised men, yet his brilliance and his repeated victories against the odds had consistently defied her expectations. For another, her own lineage within the Ice Fortress had long been in decline. Any excess of favor shown to Luo Chen would only have drawn dangerous attention. Yet even with all her caution, Luo Chen had still been noticed. He was no longer a subordinate tied solely to her Ruthless Lineage, but a guest elder of the Ice Fortress.

As for the third reason, that was not her problem. The issue lay with Luo Chen himself. He was most certainly not the sort to bow his head and accept serving under another. When trouble arose, he might come to her for help, but the moment she tried to exert even the slightest control, he would retreat and choose to resolve the matter with his own strength. In the end, he simply refused to rely on her too deeply. Even without her presence at the battle of Danxia Peak against the Luo Tian Society, Fairy Ruthless felt that Luo Chen would have still had the means to fight Qin Tairan to the death.

In the silence that followed, she spoke softly, ”So what should we do this time?”

Fairy Ice Torrent spoke evenly, ”Send someone. Either you go, or Light Frost goes. She has taken a keen interest in Luo Chen and already sent Qiu Liangyue to Tianlan Immortal City to take part in the battle at Danxia Peak. If you won’t go, she will be more than willing to help Luo Chen.”

The thought of Light Frost left Fairy Ruthless uneasy. Ever since Luo Chen appeared, Light Frost had enjoyed competing with her, always trying to snatch away what she held. Although Fairy Ruthless had no interest in men, she could not bear anyone coveting what belonged to her.

”I will go,” she declared.

After giving her answer, she hesitated before asking, ”Do we not need to consider the Sword Sect’s reaction?”

The Flame Alliance had been an ally of the Sword Sect for centuries. Rumors even claimed that the Sword Sect’s sword orbs were refined with the Flame Alliance’s involvement.

Fairy Ice Torrent gave a wry smile. ”There is nothing to consider. By the pact, the upper sects are forbidden from intervening in the struggles of the major sects of the new domains for five hundred years. Only the Falling Cloud Sect has broken that rule. Besides, they are more than happy to watch us fight to the death.”

With a few words, she swept away the only lingering concern, and relief settled in Fairy Ruthless’s heart. After a few more exchanges, she turned and began her descent down the mountain. Yet halfway down, a faint sense of unease stirred within her.

Wait a moment... That can’t be right, she realized. Fairy Ice Torrent had said in the beginning of their discussion that the spirit land of Heavenly Mountain could not support any more Adepts, yet now she was eager to recruit Luo Chen and place hopes on him to raise one more or even several more Adepts. If the Falling Cloud Sect helped them take the Great Snow Mountains, that would be one thing, but she also stated that they could not be trusted. By that reasoning, wasn’t she contradicting herself?

Fairy Ruthless knew her senior sister all too well. Such a mistake on her part was simply unthinkable.

She turned back to where she had come from, and she saw that figure still standing tall upon Heavenly Mountain. The sweeping wind and snow could not conceal her commanding and slender form. Only the inky clouds drifting across the sky dimmed her silhouette from time to time.

Suddenly, a chilling thought surfaced in Fairy Ruthless’s mind.

Nascent Soul!

***

In Skyfire Immortal City, a second-tier low-grade cave residence lay shrouded by formations. Suddenly, the formation parted, and a golden card drifted inside. The master of the residence opened his eyes. He raised his hand and the card settled neatly into his palm.

The Precious Dragon Auction would begin in three days. Many specialty resources of the Jade Cauldron Domain would appear. Fellow Daoist, your presence would bring honor to Precious Dragon.

After that brief message came a detailed list of highlighted treasures. The cave’s master let his gaze travel down the page, but most of the items failed to spark his interest. They were little more than enchanted treasures and pills, the kind that Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment cultivators eagerly sought.

Suddenly, his eyes widened as they spotted a single entry. A centennial Lightning Essence!?

”Hiss! Such a treasure is actually for sale in the Jade Cauldron Domain!?”

This Lightning Essence could be infused into a life-bound enchanted treasure to enhance its might, temper the Yang Spirit[1], and aid in passing the lightning tribulation of Nascent Soul, often producing unexpected results. Yet everybody knew that the domain’s supply of Lightning Essence was under the control of the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect, and even a decennial Lightning Essence rarely appeared on the market. So how could the Precious Dragon Black Market, which was backed by the Falling Cloud Sect, possibly have a centennial one?

”This treasure is bound to me by fate. I must claim it!”

***

This very scene had played out across Skyfire Immortal City. In fact, it was not limited to Skyfire alone. The nearby Great Radiance Immortal City and Yutao Immortal City[2] also saw many Golden Core cultivators receiving invitations from Precious Dragon Black Market. None of these Adepts belonged to the Seven Sects of the Jade Cauldron Domain. Most had come for the Divine Transformation pocket world, and they hailed from neighboring domains such as the Medicine King Domain and Skysail City.

They had traveled in disguise and slipped into the Jade Cauldron Domain in hopes of sneaking inside the pocket world. To their dismay, the two upper sects had locked the gates shut, leaving them unable to enter. Thus, they had been stranded in the Jade Cauldron Domain for a time.

Not long ago, the Falling Cloud Sect had launched a surprise assault on the Flame Alliance, slaughtering its members on a grand scale. News of this drew the outsiders closer, each hoping to fish in troubled waters and seize some profit.

And to their surprise, there truly was profit to be had.

Before long, several Adepts from beyond the domain converged on Skyfire Immortal City, intent on bidding for the centennial Lightning Essence, a treasure of immense value to Golden Core cultivators. During this time, Luo Chen—unsurprisingly, the one who had put it up for bidding—crossed paths with an old acquaintance.

”I was wondering who could be so generous as to auction a centennial Lightning Essence, something even Nascent Soul Sages consider a treasure. Fellow Daoist Luo, I did not expect it to be you.”

Luo Chen’s expression grew complicated at the sight of the newcomer, though the emotion flickered away in an instant. A smile soon replaced it. ”Fellow Daoist Tian Xingzi, I trust you have been well.”

Tian Xingzi shook his head and said, ”I am well enough; it is you I am worried about. Despite your grudge against the Flame Alliance, you dared to stroll into their city just like that. That is no different from walking into a tiger’s den. Truly bold.”

”Are you not also one who knew there were tigers in the forest and still chose to walk up the mountain?” Luo Chen countered.

Tian Xingzi paused, then shared a smile with Luo Chen. Everything was understood without the need for further words.

1. 阳神 (yáng shén) is a Daoist cultivation concept referring to the spirit in its fully-realized form. Unlike the weaker Yin Spirit, which is insubstantial and dependent on the body, the Yang Spirit is strong and able to exist independently outside the body. ☜

2. 御 (yù) means ”to command” or ”to defend,” and 韬 (tào) ”to strategize.” Such names in Chinese are usually not meant literally, but they carry an auspicious/positive connotation. ☜