An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

By the end, Cen Qiusheng offered Luo Chen a round of praise. Luo Chen smiled and did not say much. On the other hand, Diwu Qi could not help casting a glance at Luo Chen, a trace of wariness flickering in his eyes.

The small gathering lasted through the evening, then Diwu Qi and Fu Jiusheng took their leave. Luo Chen stayed behind, as per Cen Qiusheng’s request. He knew perfectly well what was about to be discussed.

He took a sip of tea and spoke with regret, ”It is a pity about Cen Guangyi. He failed at forming a core, his Dao foundation was damaged, and his sea of qi was shattered.”

The lively expression on Cen Qiusheng’s face dimmed slightly. ”That is simply his fate. He was too impatient. If anything, he should count his blessings that you were there to save his life with your extraordinary medical skills. So what can I say? I will arrange a position as an administrative elder for him within the family. At least he will not live in vain.”

At this point, he cupped his hands toward Luo Chen. ”And speaking of that matter... Many thanks for the other thing too.”

Luo Chen raised an eyebrow. ”It seems your family has already told you about what happened that day.”

Cen Qiusheng’s expression turned cold. ”I am fully aware of the situation. Whether Guangyi succeeded or failed, that was his own problem, but Diwu Qi tried to interfere? That crosses the line.”

”You intend to ask for an explanation?”

”I do have that intention, but with my strength alone is impossible. Unless... you are willing to help me.”

In response, Luo Chen pressed his lips together and set down his teacup. ”Fellow Daoist Jiang Yu has fallen, and the alliance is already weakened. Under such circumstances, it is impossible for me to take action against Diwu Qi.”

As he looked at the unwilling old man, he said seriously, ”I have to tell you: As far as I could tell at the time, he showed signs of falling into cultivation deviation. What he did was not necessarily driven by his true intent, so you don’t need to dwell on it.”

Cen Qiusheng frowned. ”Those who fall into cultivation deviation lose self-control and act purely on instinct. If that is not his true intent, then what is?”

Surprisingly, Luo Chen offered a word in Diwu Qi’s defense. ”We all have desires and all harbor evil thoughts. When the mind is stirred, and those impulses surge like a flood, what makes us human is being able to keep them in check. More importantly... As you well know, he did not actually make a move against your family’s cultivators. So on what grounds can you challenge him?”

Cen Qiusheng opened his mouth, then finally let out a helpless sigh. He indeed had no grounds on which to press the matter, and without Luo Chen’s support, he also lacked the strength to do so. In the end, he could only swallow this grievance. In the days ahead, he would likely still have to maintain cordial relations and preserve his own reputation.

”It’s fine, just look on the brighter side. Does your family not have Cen Guangwei as well? Now that you are back, if you guide him earnestly for a few decades, he might well have the chance to form his core. When that happens, there will be two Adepts in your family, and Diwu Qi will be entirely unable to do anything to you.”

After offering these words of comfort, Luo Chen rose and took his leave. Cen Qiusheng personally escorted him out of Dream Return Ridge.

Before departing, he asked one more question out of curiosity. ”Did Diwu Qi truly fall into cultivation deviation at that time?”

Luo Chen smiled faintly and did not answer directly. He merely shrugged and replied in an offhand manner, ”Perhaps.”

***

Diwu Qi had not, in fact, fallen into cultivation deviation at the time. But it was true that the lack of progress in his cultivation and his failure to advance had made him restless, which had led to his unstable state of mind and ultimately allowed Luo Chen to easily shatter his defenses. The impact of that battle meant that, if Diwu Qi failed to properly adjust his mentality in the short term, his cultivation would only become even more difficult.

It sounded somewhat obscure, yet it was something that absolutely had to be taken into account. This was just how cultivation was. Especially after reaching the Golden Core Realm, every minor realm involved a transformation of the divine soul—the final step was the Golden Core forming an embryo, like an egg, and shedding its shell to give birth to the Nascent Soul. During this process, the fusion of the Golden Core and the divine soul was of paramount importance. It was rumored that when cultivators underwent the lightning tribulation, they would also be accompanied by a tribulation of the heart. Thus, it could be said that Adepts were quite susceptible to fluctuations in their state of mind.

Luo Chen was extremely familiar with such situations. Maybe it was because he was a transmigrator, but he found himself even more vulnerable to Heart Devils than ordinary cultivators. He had experienced a heart tribulation even during the Qi Refinement Realm, and during the Foundation Establishment Realm, his hatred had given rise to a Heart Devil as well. It was precisely for this reason that he had sensed something amiss with Diwu Qi back then.

However, he could not be bothered to warn him about such matters. If Diwu Qi became too powerful, it would not be good for Luo Chen at all. The lesson he took from this affair was that he needed to be steadier in his own cultivation moving forward. He certainly did not want to experience another heart tribulation in the Golden Core Realm.

What put Luo Chen slightly at ease was his own creation, the Fine Dust Primordial Art. This technique contained the Stilling Wind and Waves gifted to him by Miao Wen as well as the Beaded Curtain Lock of the Falling Cloud Sect. At major mastery, it could effectively suppress emotional fluctuations and the incessant arising of distracting thoughts.

As he was about to return to Snow Wolf Plateau, Luo Chen glanced back at Dream Return Ridge, which was brightly lit and bustled with activity.

Helping Cen Qiusheng deal with Diwu Qi was simply out of the question. He himself needed to head to the front lines next, and the alliance required Diwu Qi to hold the fort. At the same time, Diwu Qi could not be allowed to grow overly powerful, which meant that Fu Jiusheng and Cen Qiusheng were needed to keep him in check.

Luo Chen naturally understood such simple principles. As for putting them into practice, he was even more at ease. In public, he was a Supreme Elder who had founded a sect of his own. In private, he had to keep both Sima Huiniang and Gu Caiyi happy. Maintaining balance between two sides that were like water and fire was something he was thoroughly accustomed to doing.

***

With Cen Qiusheng’s return, the Luo Tian Alliance inevitably had to dispatch another cultivator to the front lines to join the Sword Enforcer Hall. Luo Chen had already used Fu Jiusheng’s need to set up formations and improve the sect’s spirit land as justification to shoot down the proposal of sending the latter to the battlefield. The price of that decision was clear—when the time came, he himself would step forward.

Luo Chen no longer felt much apprehension about this. After all, experience breeds familiarity. He already had a fair grasp of how to preserve himself amid the chaos of a grand battlefield. Moreover, from the information Cen Qiusheng had shared, the human allied forces led by the Falling Cloud Sect had gradually uprooted the demonic beast strongholds along the outer perimeter of the Howling Moon Mountain Range.

The next step would be to completely eradicate the Defiant Howl Wolf Court and seize the only fourth-tier spirit vein of the Howling Moon Mountain Range. For a battle of this scale, the Falling Cloud Sect had undoubtedly begun mobilizing every force at its disposal. Luo Chen’s arrival would merely be adding strength where victory was already within reach. There was no need for him to fight to the death as he once had in the Thundernet Mountains.

Even so, Luo Chen still made thorough preparations. Not only had his physical and mental condition reached its peak, but the arrangements regarding the sect were also handled as perfectly as possible.

First, Sima Huiniang was transferred over to preside over all affairs of the Luo Tian Sect on Snow Wolf Plateau. Danxia Peak was handed over to Gu Caiyi. There was no need to worry about anything going wrong there. She was assisted by Duan Feng, Feng Xia, Li Yingzhang, Qu Lingjun, and others; more importantly, she herself had extensive experience and was fully capable of holding the fort. Externally, there was also support from Green Pill Valley and Hao Ranzi, so no one dared to have nefarious thoughts about Danxia Peak. Second, on Snow Wolf Plateau, Fu Jiusheng and Min Longyu oversaw the deployment of several formations adapted to local conditions to guard against demonic beasts.

Finally, Luo Chen also invited Diwu Qi for a private discussion. He made a promise that after returning, he would provide Diwu Qi with mid-grade Starfield Pills to help him break through to the middle stage of Golden Core. It was a classic stick-and-carrot move—first came a crushing defeat delivered in a single move, then the temptation of mid-grade Starfield Pills. Under such circumstances, Diwu Qi naturally agreed to do his best for the Luo Tian Alliance.

Before leaving, aside from sharing a brief moment of intimacy with Sima Huiniang, Luo Chen also paid separate visits to the cave residences of Wang Yuan and Chu Kui. One had the gates tightly shut, as if in a life-or-death seclusion. The other was cultivating the Dragon-Slaying Art at the Beginner level and had already removed a large part of the foreign mana from his body. In at most another decade, he would be completely free of such impurities and able to attempt another breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm.

As he stood in front of Chu Kui’s cave residence, a voice said with regret, ”Sorry, but this time I cannot fight alongside you.”

Luo Chen waved his hand and said casually, ”Wait until you form your core. Then we will travel together again!”

After saying that, Luo Chen no longer lingered. He turned into a streak of light as he leapt onto the Crimson Flame Dragon Boat that had been circling in the air for a while. The moment he boarded, Zeng Yilong and Xing Zhonghan came forward to greet him.

”Is everything settled?” Luo Chen asked.

”Everyone is ready!”

Luo Chen’s gaze swept across the eight Initiates standing on the deck. The cultivators from various families all hurriedly bowed to him in greeting.

”In that case, let us depart,” Luo Chen said.

With a sweep of his sleeve, surging mana poured into the Crimson Flame Dragon Boat, which was now reduced to only a fraction of its maximum size. Instantly, the dragon boat shot luke a sharp arrow toward the depths of the Howling Moon Mountain Range.

From various mountain peaks, streams of gazes followed the flying vessel as it gradually receded into the distance.

After watching Luo Chen depart, Chu Kui let out a low chuckle. He turned around and entered his cave residence, shutting the door tight once more.

On Snow Wolf Plateau, Sima Huiniang stood beneath the quiet gazes of Yao Mingyue and Yuan Xiaoyue, silently enduring yet another farewell. Yao Mingyue spoke softly in consolation, ”Master, the Supreme Elder will surely return safely.”

Yuan Xiaoyue also spoke up, ”The Supreme Elder is very powerful. Sect Leader, you don’t need to worry.”

In response to their comfort, Sima Huiniang gently stroked the back of her hand. There was a small bulge there. It was the Spirit-Link Gu that she and Luo Chen had refined together back then. After years of nurturing, the one within her body had reached the second tier. As for the one on Luo Chen, it was likely already infinitely close to the third. With this gu, no matter how far apart they were, she could sense how Luo Chen was doing. Such a method was not inferior to the life-bound soul lamps of the upper sects.

”I am not worried. He has never disappointed anyone!”

The woman’s lingering words drifted upon the gentle mountain breeze. Though light, they carried an immeasurable weight of trust. Indeed—when had Luo Chen ever disappointed anyone? This was merely another departure to yet another battlefield!