An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

”Thank you for accompanying me all this way. Let us part here.”

Outside the Luo Tian Alliance’s newly built defensive works, which had only just taken on a rough shape, an elderly man with graying hair and beard turned around and looked at the five Adepts seeing him off. Before the five could speak, he casually glanced at the crude defenses nearby.

”If you wish to hold on to this territory once the outcome is decided, then you should seriously think over what I have said!” he warned them in a serious tone.

Once these words were spoken, the expressions of the five Adepts stiffened slightly. Luo Chen steadied his emotions and cupped his fist in salute. ”Thank you for notifying us, Fellow Daoist Qu. We will give a reply as soon as possible.”

”Mmm. As long as you know what you are doing, that is enough. I will take my leave now.”

”Safe travels, Fellow Daoist Qu!”

The five Adepts watched Qu Xibai’s back as he left, and all of them fell into silence.

Beneath the still-low fortifications, five people stood for a while, not uttering a word.

Luo Chen’s heart felt heavy. He had anticipated that this day would come. After all, Fairy Ruthless had clearly warned him a while back. Yet he had not expected calamity to arrive so quickly—it had not even been a full year!

Qu Xibai’s purpose in coming today was actually not complicated. It was to invite the Luo Tian Alliance to participate in the Frontier War.

Naturally, this was a puzzling way of saying things. Had the Luo Tian Alliance not always been participating in the Frontier War? Wasn’t this rather nonsensical? But in truth, it wasn’t. The invitation was actually for the Luo Tian Alliance’s high-tier cultivators to join the Nine Sects’ Sword Enforcer Hall and carry out missions on the most dangerous front lines. These so-called high-tier cultivators had to be at least at the Foundation Establishment Realm, and preferably Adepts.

For the Luo Tian Alliance, this group of cultivators represented their absolute top-level battle power. Moreover, the missions would be carried out in the most dangerous places of all. That was why the five of them had fallen into silence. Everyone feared being the first to speak up and be sent out as a result.

Finally, seemingly unable to endure the eerie atmosphere, someone broke the silence. The youngest man in the group clasped his hands behind his back and trod forward at an unhurried pace. As he looked toward the serene mountains and clear waters beyond the alliance’s defensive works, he said calmly, ”Why do you all need to put on such airs? This was bound to happen sooner or later. From the moment we took shortcuts to seize spirit lands and carried out the mountain moving plan, we were destined to draw the attention of those with ulterior motives.”

Diwu Qi suddenly interjected, ”Was it Jadewater Dragon?”

The other three were stunned for a moment, then revealed indignant expressions. In response, Luo Chen smiled calmly. ”Perhaps it was her, or perhaps it was not. What difference does it make? Do you really think that when our three factions sent people to the front lines to gather resources, then processed and sold them for profit, the other major sects besides Dreamspring Cave failed to notice? The Luo Tian Sect’s demonic beast trade, the Cen family’s medicinal materials trade...

”Hehe. Others fight to the death just to secure a place to stand while we sit comfortably in the rear and reap the benefits. The Luo Tian Alliance is neither an upper sect nor a powerful major sect. What right do we have to be so casual? Indeed, they are restricted by the alliance agreements, and they cannot openly make a move against us, but that does not mean they can accept this situation. Targeting us is only natural. Besides, they are only asking us to send people. They are not asking us to throw our lives away, nor are they demanding that we hand over our territory.”

Words flowed steadily from Luo Chen’s mouth in a well-reasoned and clearly structured discourse. The others gradually understood the logic behind what he was saying. Yet understanding was one thing and accepting was another thing entirely.

”Joining the Sword Enforcer Hall is no different from courting death. If we die there and the alliance has fewer than three Adepts as a result, we will lose our status as a major force. Without that status, do you really think we can hold on to this blessed land that we fought so hard to claim?”

The speaker was Diwu Qi. Within the alliance, he was the only person qualified to stand on equal footing with Luo Chen. Now that the blessed land had been seized, the binding force of the Luo Tian Alliance agreement had all but vanished. The three factions had long since begun acting independently. The only reason the alliance was still maintained was to present outwardly as a major sect.

”In my view, this is nothing more than a hidden scheme against the Luo Tian Alliance,” Diwu Qi said bluntly.

In response, Luo Chen laughed helplessly. ”Hidden or open, what difference does it make? After all, this territory is only nominally ours at present. For it to be truly allocated to us, we still have to wait until the new domain is settled and the upper sects distribute rewards based on merit. If we refuse to join the Nine Sects’ Sword Enforcer Hall, that means giving up this third-tier spirit vein right now. Are you all really willing to do that?”

In an instant, firm expressions appeared on the faces of the four. Of course they were not willing. Among those present, some came from rogue cultivator backgrounds, while others came from small families. Not a single one had a proper sect background. After forming their cores, none of them had ever enjoyed free access to a third-tier spirit vein. Who would be willing to give one up now that it belonged to them?

”So the answer is already obvious.” Luo Chen turned around and spread his hands. ”We will definitely send people to the Sword Enforcer Hall. Thanks to Qu Xibai’s advance notice, we have ample time to prepare. All that remains is to decide who goes. So who is willing to step forward and fight for the alliance?”

Faced with Luo Chen’s gentle gaze, the three all stepped back in unison. The idea was laughable. The alliance was not their own family, and no one possessed that level of dedication. Only Fu Jiusheng was left standing in place, abruptly standing out.

Fu Jiusheng felt extremely awkward. He had not wanted Luo Chen to be left standing alone and appear out of place. He had not expected that he himself would become the most eye-catching one instead.

Luo Chen shook his head. ”Old Fu will not go. He still has to oversee the arrangement of the Dragon Trapping Formation. This is a long-term task. He cannot leave for at least the next ten years.”

Diwu Qi and the other two exchanged glances, but they had to admit that Luo Chen made sense.

Fu Jiusheng suddenly let out a breath of relief. He truly did not want to go to the battlefield. In terms of combat power, he was not actually lacking; as a herbalist, he had never feared fighting. However, battlefield combat was all about direct frontal clashes, with various shockwaves sweeping through from time to time. If he truly went onto the front lines, with his cultivation as a first-stage Adept, death would be almost certain.

Luo Chen’s words had effectively helped him out of the predicament. One could even say they ensured his safety for a long period to come.

Just as the heavy stone in his heart settled, Luo Chen spoke again, ”In all fairness, as the alliance leader, I should volunteer to go myself. But I have recently gained some alchemy insights, and I feel that I might be able to refine mid-grade Starfield Pills soon. I truly do not wish to be running about outside and delay potential alchemy breakthroughs. All of you should also be eager to enjoy mid-grade Starfield Pills as soon as possible, right? According to my estimation, the medicinal potency of mid-grade Starfield Pills is not inferior to the Dragon Transformation Pills produced by Green Pill Valley, or the Golden Azure Pills of the Medicine King Sect.”

Faced with Luo Chen’s smiling expression, everyone felt somewhat at a loss. It was obvious that he did not want to go to the front lines. He had even produced a reason that sounded fairly acceptable. Even if someone wished to force the matter, there was simply no justification for doing so.

The alliance had been established entirely under Luo Chen’s leadership. He had also contributed greatly in the process of seizing the spirit land; moreover, for the mountain-moving part, he had mobilized his connections and summoned five Adepts! No matter how one looked at it, he could not be the first to go.

Moreover, in spite of what Luo Chen had just said, there was no precedent for directly sending out the leading figure in sect warfare, and if the Luo Tian Alliance were regarded as a proper sect, then Luo Chen would undoubtedly be the leading figure.

Cen Qiusheng suddenly spoke. ”I am already old, and I do not have much time left to live. My life itself is not important. But the Cen family lacks a good leader. I cannot abandon my family. Therefore, I cannot go now!”

Those words were reasonable as well. However, once they were spoken, the focus immediately shifted toward the two Adepts of Stormwind Manor.

Diwu Qi narrowed his eyes. ”What do you two mean by this?”

The atmosphere immediately turned stiff. Luo Chen frowned slightly and shook his head. When hearts are not united, leading the group truly becomes difficult.

With a flick of his sleeve, he turned and walked away.

”There is still time. Let us discuss this slowly after we return. What is the point of standing here and letting the mountain wind blow on us?”

As he left, the tense atmosphere gradually eased. However, it was clear that until a conclusion was reached, the alliance’s internal situation would remain unsettled.

***

Deep within the mountain, Luo Chen stood outside a brand-new stone door. He lingered there for a long time. After a long while, he finally let out a sigh and left. Wang Yuan’s injuries had already healed, yet he was still in seclusion. He was clearly attempting to condense a core and advance to the Furnace Realm.

This was a good thing! One could even say that if he succeeded, he would become the key to breaking the deadlock. By then, the Luo Tian Sect alone would possess three Adept- level combatants, forming an absolutely dominant force within the sect. At that point, Luo Chen would be able to assign tasks without the slightest restraint. Unfortunately, he had no idea how many years it would take before Wang Yuan emerged from seclusion.

When I formed my core back then, it took me ten years, and consolidating my cultivation took another ten. The Physique Refinement path is even worse than qi cultivation; a qualitative transformation like this was never something that could be achieved in a single leap. It seems I was too impatient.

After returning to Snow Wolf Flats, Luo Chen walked slowly as his thoughts churned. Suddenly, his gaze landed on Chu Kui, who had been sitting down somewhere in the distance for quite some time. Luo Chen suddenly thought of something, and immediately called him over. ”How is your progress with the Dragon-Slaying Art?”

Chu Kui answered honestly, ”Thanks to your guidance, I’ve reached the Beginner level. But clearing the foreign energy is extremely difficult right now, and I’m progressing very slowly.”

Clear disappointment appeared on Luo Chen’s face. If the foreign energy within Chu Kui was not cleared, he would be unable to even attempt forming the core. Luo Chen asked again, ”What about the Fine Dust Primordial Art?”

Chu Kui said helplessly, ”It’s far too complex. Although it’s a third-tier art, I feel it’s even harder than the fourth-tier Dragon-Slaying Art. I fear I cannot rely on it to form my core.”

Another piece of bad news. Wang Yuan had entered seclusion, and before doing so, he had failed to produce a simplified version of the Fine Dust Primordial Art. And in spite of being the creator of it, Luo Chen himself had only reached the Proficient level. This level of mastery was just not sufficient for him to be able to simplify it.

Chu Kui could not help but ask, ”Do you have something troubling you?”

Luo Chen shook his head and patted Chu Kui on the shoulder. ”Do not worry about these things. Just focus on your cultivation. I hope that one day, I can hold a Core Formation Ceremony for you.”

Luo Chen clasped his hands behind his back and left alone. It was impossible to ask for external aid, and in the short term, it was also impossible for the Luo Tian Sect to produce new Adepts. The current situation could only be resolved by his own efforts.

Luo Chen was concerned, but not truly agitated. He had long since grown accustomed to such matters.