An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

The Mystic Flame Sword settled into his grip, and its tip angled upward. A streak of flowing light appeared, then expanded and transformed into a blazing sun that descended from above without the slightest delay.

Solar Flare!

After unleashing the strike, Luo Chen did not bother to wait and see if it had been effective. His left hand moved without pause, forming seals; his right hand guided the sword through the void; finally, incantation words poured from his lips.

When the light of the Solar Flare finally dissipated, a battered figure was revealed.

The two blue water dragons, now greatly reduced in size, split away from that figure and charged toward Luo Chen from left and right. Luo Chen did not slow down for even a moment; instead, he simply flicked out two streaks of black light to meet them head-on. Then, he slowly pressed the Mystic Flame Sword downward.

”Landslide!”

From the nine heavens, an illusory mountain filled with mana slowly descended.

The gaunt-faced man opposite of Luo Chen was bleeding from the corner of his mouth, and his robes were torn apart. His eyes burned with ferocity as he stared at Luo Chen. He gripped a black banner and shook it upward.

”Myriad Soul Formation, rise!”

The boundless black fog that had been scattered moments earlier erupted with countless piercing shrieks as it once more surged from the ground, rushing toward the descending mountain. In an instant, the fog condensed into a massive black dragon that roared violently. The black dragon collided with the mountain, and the mountain held for a brief moment before collapsing outright.

Yan Nantian sneered. ”Nothing but petty tricks!”

Yet amid his mocking laughter, the banner shook even more frantically, showing that he felt the urgency of the situation. The black fog dragon surged toward the heavens, intent on sweeping away all remaining force in one stroke.

Seeing this, Luo Chen let out a cold laugh. Goes to show your lack of experience, I guess. You think it collapsed because you’re stronger? I wanted it to collapse!

In the next moment, torrents of flowing firelight burst forth from the disintegrating mountain. They poured downward like surging waves of lava, completely engulfing both the black dragon and Yan Nantian. At the same time, the Blazing Fire Miasma that had previously seeped into the Myriad Soul Formation erupted in full. Fiend qi spread everywhere, tearing apart the black fog dragon from within. Wherever a streak of gray-white light passed, the dragon began to disintegrate bit by bit.

Yan Nantian naturally realized that something was amiss. But at this point, there was no turning back. His only choice was to infuse the Myriad Soul Banner with all his strength and face the oncoming attack head-on.

Luo Chen, on the other hand, had the leisure to split his focus and glanced to both sides. After several collisions, the outcome between the two black streaks and the blue water dragons had already been decided. The Qi-Disrupting Nail and the Soul-Breaking Nail were each embedded deep within a dragon’s head, producing clanging sounds from within.

This must be the Water-Splitting Spike. Looks like it can really create water dragons.

After confirming that the two black nails could suppress the water dragons, Luo Chen no longer paid them any attention. He abruptly settled his left hand against his chest and no longer formed seals, but along the Mystic Flame Sword in his right hand, light flowed like a river, causing it to tremble violently. Each tremor of the blade signified a massive surge of mana pouring out from Luo Chen’s body. The accumulated power grew so overwhelming that he could even hear the blade emitting low hums.

Nine suns are the limit. Any more, and this sword will not be able to withstand the power of my mana.

Luo Chen sighed inwardly. Then, he lightly pointed the tip of his sword toward the night sky. With each point, a faint glimmer flashed into existence, flying in a different direction. After a few moments, his movements halted, and the sword finally fell silent.

At the same time, the battle below had reached its conclusion.

At some point, Yan Nantian had been forced all the way down. He hovered just above the water’s surface; his hair and beard were scorched and curled, as though seared by intense heat. His robes were tattered, exposing his chest, which was covered in dense scars—a testimony to the countless life-and-death situations he had endured. His hands were also trembling, and the long banner he held no longer looked as threatening, as the fog surrounding it had thinned considerably.

He stared at Luo Chen in shock and doubt. ”What spell was that...”

Luo Chen answered calmly, as if everything were firmly within his grasp, ”That was a little second-tier spell called Landslide.”

Yan Nantian’s eyes widened. ”How could a mere second-tier spell break my Myriad Soul Banner formation?”

Luo Chen smiled faintly. ”Spells have tiers, sure, but power has always come down to the caster. Just like your Myriad Soul Banner, for instance. Put that in the hands of a true Soul Refiner and it’ll be far more powerful than what you’re showing now. Fellow Daoist, don’t tell me you don’t understand such a simple truth.”

Yan Nantian’s expression stiffened. He could not deny it: Throughout his journey, he had scarcely had the time or peace to practice spells. When he finally gained a hundred years of respite, he focused instead on advancing his cultivation and did not bother with his combat methods. He understood the problem, yet understanding changed nothing.

He pressed his lips together, then muttered, ”One last question. What is your name?”

He did not ask about motives, background, or possible grudges. He only wanted to know who he was dealing with. But after asking, he did not wait for an answer. The long banner unfurled and wrapped around him layer by layer. He spat out a small blue sword, which burst with light that enveloped him, and he shot straight toward Luo Chen!

Seeing all this, Luo Chen still wore a faint smile. How could he not understand the situation? Yan Nantian had been trying to recover his breath and reinforce his meridians to draw out more power from his Golden Core. Yet Luo Chen had indulged in this exchange because he too had been waiting!

”I am Azure Yang. Fellow Daoist, may your journey be smooth down the Yellow Spring Road!”

He exhaled a long stream of white breath, accompanied by a soft whistle. In the next instant, nine streaks of light erupted across the night sky, transforming into massive fireballs like blazing suns. In a flash, nine suns filled the sky, surrounding the blue glow.

”Detonate!”

B-BOOOOMMM!

Though it was the detonation of nine Solar Flare clusters, there was only a single sound echoing between heaven and earth. Luo Chen could cast the Solar Flare as easily as flicking a finger, even unleashing eight or nine in succession. But when time came to detonate them, he always triggered them one after another. This time, on the other hand, nine suns exploded at once across the sky!

The instantaneous explosive power surpassed that of many third-tier spells. The ten-li lake was no longer shrouded in black fog nor reflecting the pale moonlight, but appeared burning as a gargantuan crimson sun blazed overhead. A terrifying amount of mana was instantly drawn in, then violently expanded outward. There was not just a single shockwave, but wave after wave of titanic, tsunami-like energy roaring in every direction, covering even the tiniest bit of space. In the blink of an eye, it reached ten li, then fifty, a hundred... and judging by the momentum, it threatened to spread for a thousand li!

The cultivators of the Flying Swallow Archipelago who had been watching the battle were instantly shaken to the core. Some even screamed as they retreated frantically, afraid of being caught up in the aftermath. Cheng Dou, who was maintaining the Water Mirror, also turned pale at the scene. At this moment, he was unsure whether to retreat or stay where he was.

Cheng Haixin, Cheng Haichang, and the others who had already fled to the rear saw Cheng Dou hesitating and shouted urgently, ”Big Brother, fall back now!”

Yet hearing this, Cheng Dou instead clenched his teeth and decided otherwise. Azure Yang had entrusted him with a task. How could he simply retreat out of fear? He continuously formed seals, and layer after layer of light barriers rose before him.

In just a few breaths, the first shockwave had already swept up to his position.

Yet just as the shockwave was about to slam into Cheng Dou, it stopped. Only violent gusts of wind kept moving, whipping his neatly bound long hair into wild motion. Cheng Dou’s face was pale as he struggled to lift his head and look at the Water Mirror above.

Ripples spread across its surface, yet the images within remained vividly lifelike. At that particular moment, all he felt was shock, especially at how perfect Luo Chen’s control was. Whether it was the perfectly estimated range of the explosion or the unshaken images on the Water Mirror, they were both clear signs that he had reached the peak of both spells.

”Huuuuuu...” Cheng Dou let out a long breath and turned to look at the crowd. ”Everyone, this place was personally chosen by Devil Lord Azure Yang for us to view the battle. If you don’t trust me... surely you wouldn’t doubt the Devil Lord himself, would you?”

They looked at one another, momentarily speechless. Just then, a clear, sharp cry rang out from within the crowd.

”Danger!”

From beneath the crushing force produced by the simultaneous detonation of the nine blazing suns, a force that seemed capable of annihilating everything, a streak of blue light suddenly tore free. It pierced through the raging fire and shot straight toward Luo Chen.