An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

After returning to the Luo Tian Society, Luo Chen kept a low profile. Though not entirely secluded, he rarely left his residence. Yet despite this, his days were far from idle. His time was spent on alchemy, alchemy, and more alchemy.

The three years he had spent recuperating at the Ice Fortress had also meant three years without a supply of Jade Dew Pills. Now that the Luo Tian Society’s business had stabilised and they didn’t need to sustain any Adept, their annual surplus of spirit stones had grown considerably.

Even if Luo Chen did nothing at all, he would still earn two to three hundred thousand spirit stones each year. And that was after deducting the monthly salaries for the steadily increasing number of Initiates within the society.

After years of annexations and consolidations, the Luo Tian Society had finally digested its conquests and entered a path of steady and healthy growth. Thus, the Jade Dew Pill trade was no longer just about earning spirit stones—though, in a sense, it had never been about that.

It had been more about keeping the Ice Fortress pleased, and after three years of interruption, the Ice Fortress had grown restless. This explained why Ice Torrent had not even tried to stop Luo Chen when he requested to return.

Aside from that, Chu Kui’s Spirit Passage Pills were also in short supply. He had been cultivating in Hao Ranzi’s third-tier cave residence for more than two years, rapidly accelerating his progress.

Now, he was nearing Perfected Mastery of Foundation Establishment. The day of his attempt to form his core was approaching fast. Under such circumstances, the cultivation of Beaded Curtain Lock had to be brought fully into focus. But his divine soul foundation was only average; hence, he was in great need of Spirit Passage Pills to strengthen it.

Then, there were the Blood-Boosting Pill and the Dustfall Pill—Luo Chen used them as substitutes for the top-grade Ascending Dragon Pill during his cultivation. The formula for the Dustfall Pill originated from Green Pill Valley; it was easy to refine and served a single purpose: to refine one’s physical essence into qi.

As for the Blood-Boosting Pill, he had already mastered it to Perfection before the battle against the Flame Alliance. Wang Yuan had relied heavily on this very pill to expand his blood qi, and within a short span, he had advanced to Perfected Mastery in Transforming Force. Naturally, he had provided Luo Chen with the most direct and honest feedback regarding the pill’s effects and possible side effects. That made Luo Chen hold great expectations for the pill’s future applications.

The relentless work of alchemy steadily deepened Luo Chen’s mastery. At the same time, Qu Lingjun, who came monthly to observe and receive his guidance, benefited immensely.

”Today, we’ll be refining the Dustfall Pill,” Luo Chen said.

Inside Cave Residence Bing Seventeen, Luo Chen watched as Bai Meiling neatly arranged the pre-processed medicinal materials from the Luo Tian Society in the spots most convenient for his reach. As she worked, Luo Chen began explaining to Qu Lingjun the essential points of refining the Dustfall Pill.

At the mention of that name, Qu Lingjun’s heart stirred with excitement. ”Isn’t this the second-tier pill that earned you fame during the Dao Scion Competition in Green Pill Valley?”

Luo Chen smiled faintly. ”Indeed, that’s the one.”

”It must be extraordinary, then,” Qu Lingjun said in awe.

However, Luo Chen shook his head. ”That’s where you’re mistaken. For us low-tier alchemists, complex formulas aren’t suitable for competitions. How would we learn them quickly enough to be able to refine the pills under pressure? In my opinion, the Dustfall Pill is even simpler to refine than some first-tier pills.”

Qu Lingjun froze in surprise. Luo Chen smiled gently and continued, ”Don’t dismiss its worth simply because it’s easy to make. The value of a pill doesn’t lie in its complexity or grade, but in the people and situations it suits. For instance, a fourth-tier pill may be miraculous, but can you even take it without exploding? I don’t think so.”

Hearing this, Qu Lingjun felt as though a veil had been lifted from his mind. It seemed his blind pursuit of complexity and grades of pills had been a misguided path all along!

Watching his disciple fall deep into thought, Luo Chen felt a quiet sense of relief. After more than twenty years of study, with a solid theoretical foundation, guidance from seniors, and extensive hands-on experience, Qu Lingjun’s alchemical skill had advanced by leaps and bounds. He could now refine ordinary first-tier pills with practiced ease.

He had already mastered the Luo Tian Society’s main production pills: the Jade Essence Pill, Myriad Wonders Pill, essence-nourishing pill, and Spirit Feed Pellet. Of these four, he could already produce the first three at stable top-grade quality. Such talent was truly remarkable!

Under these circumstances, Luo Chen decided it was time to guide him toward second-tier medicines. However, he did not intend to have him begin with the most difficult ones, like the Jade Dew Pill, Imperial Nectar, or Blood-Boosting Pill. Even the Spirit Passage Pill, though only first-tier in classification, was far too demanding in practice. Therefore, the Dustfall Pill, with its low difficulty of refinement, was the ideal starting point for stepping into the next tier of alchemy.

”Watch closely!” Luo Chen said firmly.

At his soft command, Qu Lingjun immediately focused. Luo Chen pressed two fingers together and made a slight motion in the air. A thread of azure flame flared to life and settled beneath the aged Shangshu Cauldron, burning with steady brilliance.

Boom!

In the blink of an eye, that seemingly weightless wisp of flame swelled into a raging blaze. Qu Lingjun’s eyelids twitched violently. This was not the first time he had seen this azure flame. It was neither earth fire nor the true fire of a Foundation Establishment cultivator—it was the exceedingly rare primordial true fire!

What was a primordial true fire? Within heaven and earth, there existed wondrous flames that appeared without reason and vanished without a trace. They were entirely rootless, and were therefore known to the world as Sourceless Flames. Even without fuel or firewood, such flames could burn endlessly for hundreds or even thousands of years!

They were entirely different from the so-called ”life-bound true fire” conjured by mere bursts of spirit power. No one had expected that after the fall of the Flame Alliance, the Withering-Flourishing Fire, which had vanished without a trace, would end up in Luo Chen’s hands. Moreover, it was not third-tier as the world believed. The Withering-Flourishing Fire had already reached the early stage of the fourth tier.

With this flame, Master will be unstoppable! He will no longer be constrained by earth fire or firewood. He can refine pills whenever and wherever he wants. When will I be able to get a primordial true fire of my own? he thought enviously.

With admiration in his heart, Qu Lingjun focused intently on Luo Chen’s every movement. Whenever the process reached a more difficult step, Luo Chen deliberately slowed his pace so that his disciple could clearly observe each hand motion and technique. Even the subtle changes of the ingredients were carefully explained and laid bare before him.