An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

One month later, at the very center of the archipelago, ripples once again spread across the ten-li lake as a new small island rose from deep beneath the waters and dense spirit energy gushed forth once more. Figures moved about the island, making preparations for the grand ceremony. There was not a single mortal present; at the very least, all were Qi Refinement cultivators.

From time to time, people cast fearful glances toward the small island at the lake’s center. In just a single month, the title ”Devil Lord Azure Yang” had spread through the mouths of hundreds of thousands of cultivators and mortals alike. Everyone knew the Flying Swallow Archipelago had changed hands. Yan Nantian was gone; Azure Yang now reigned.

What the future would hold, no one could say. But signs were already emerging. Just the effort of gathering spirit energy, stabilizing the veins, and reconstructing a third-tier spirit land had consumed immense wealth from dozens of families across the archipelago. Not long ago, forty-nine Initiates led by Flying Swallow’s three great formation masters had forcibly raised the island back up from where Azure Yang’s palm had smashed it. The commotion was scarcely less than when he had blasted it down in the first place. One could easily imagine what tasks the new Devil Lord might demand of the Flying Swallow cultivators in the days to come.

Murmurs continued to rise as the crowd moved about. Yet as noon approached, the chatter gradually faded, and all cultivators below the Foundation Establishment Realm withdrew.

Suddenly, a mass of red clouds came from afar and halted above Moon-Inviting Island. Upon the red clouds stood a tall man dressed in a black robe and his black hair neatly bound by a jade hairpin. Although he appeared young, his eyes resembled a cold abyss, vast and unfathomable.

Upon seeing him, all the Initiates by the lakeside bowed and said in unison, ”Greetings, Devil Lord!”

Though only a hundred voices, together they rose like a tidal roar. Luo Chen looked down upon the cultivators by the lake before finally settling on Moon-Inviting Island. A satisfied smile appeared on his face.

”Not bad. I am very satisfied. Not a single one of you is missing; in fact, there are even a few more than expected. That pleases me all the more.”

Hearing this, everyone felt slightly reassured.

With a sweep of his sleeve, Luo Chen spoke in a clear voice, ”I won’t waste words talking about what kind of person I am. You’ll figure that out yourselves as time goes on. Today, I’ll say just three things. First—starting today, the Cheng family of Black Swan Island will act on my behalf here in the Flying Swallow Archipelago. The daily affairs will go through them.”

Upon hearing this, even though they had long been mentally prepared, the cultivators could not help but feel a faint sense of disappointment. The Cheng family had truly risen in a single leap, latching onto a powerful backer. From this day forward, they would stand beneath one person and above all others.

At the front of the crowd, the seven Initiates of the Cheng family all wore unmistakably smug expressions.

Suddenly, a streak of spirit light flew out from Luo Chen’s sleeve. It drifted gently through the air before coming to a halt in front of the seven cultivators.

An enchanted treasure!

Unlike the Jade Cauldron Domain, where low-tier enchanted treasures were everywhere, such items were still rare in most cultivation regions. Aside from major sects and long-established cultivation families, ordinary small forces had almost no enchanted treasures worth showing. From Luo Chen’s earlier observations, most of the Initiates here relied on supreme-grade or even just top-grade enchanted artifacts. Even a comparatively strong family like the Cheng family merely possessed a Soul-Refining Banner with growth potential.

Seeing the glow of the enchanted treasure, Cheng Dou felt his heart stir and stepped forward to receive it, only for the light to veer aside and land directly in the hands of the woman standing beside him.

”This is my token. From now on, Cheng Haixin will hold it. Treat her as you would treat me.”

Cheng Haixin stared at the pair of Water-Splitting Spikes in her hands, momentarily stunned. When she caught the fleeting gloom that crossed her elder brother’s face, her heart trembled even more.

”Devil Lord, I—”

She came to an abrupt halt. Under Luo Chen’s quiet gaze, she swallowed back down the words she had been about to say. Before an Adept, how could there be any refusal?

”Second!” Luo Chen looked coldly toward the crowd, and his tone turned even colder. ”I will soon enter seclusion. During this period, I must refine a large quantity of pills. You will be gathering the ingredients required. From this day onward, you will not offer any other tribute; you need only collect ingredients on my behalf. I have already handed the list to the Cheng family. They will assign the tasks appropriately. Once you receive a task, you are to gather the ingredients and that’s all.”

The expressions of the crowd shifted slightly. They no longer had to offer tribute every year like they did to Yan Nantian, only gather ingredients? That seemed somewhat better. An Adept’s annual cultivation would not consume an excessive amount of resources. With their combined effort, the cost should not be too great.

Cheng Dou watched this scene with a cold smile. If they knew the quantities of ingredients on the list, they would hardly be so optimistic. Converted into spirit stones, their value actually exceeded the annual tribute Yan Nantian had demanded before. Once the tasks were handed out and these people realized the gains and losses involved, who knew whether they would stir up trouble? And when that time came, how would the Devil Lord Azure Yang quell the dissatisfaction in their hearts?

Completely ignoring his new lieutenant’s thoughts, Luo Chen flicked his wrist, and a stone stele appeared at his side. Upon its surface, characters twisted and surged like dragons and serpents, as though images of the Great Dao had been carved into the stone itself. Yet radiant spirit light covered them completely, preventing anyone from seeing anything more than a vague blur. Only four words were imprinted directly into everyone’s mind: Azure Yang Pill Codex.

The next moment, Luo Chen’s voice rang out once more. And the moment they heard his words, every face revealed a look of excitement.

”I’ve looked into the history of the Flying Swallow Archipelago. For the past hundred years, not a single Adept has emerged. Even over eight centuries, only two have succeeded. With a Core Formation success rate this low, is it really because your aptitude is lacking? Is it your resolve?

”Well... I feel that is not the case, and I also feel we can do something about it. You have rebuilt the spirit vein for me, and in the future, you’ll be running about on my behalf. Your efforts have been real, and they deserve a reward. That is why I am passing down a Middle Path Core Formation secret art. Each family may exchange for it based on their merits and contributions to me. That is the third matter.”

Luo Chen smiled faintly as spirit light shone in his hand. Layer upon layer of Dark restrictions descended upon the stone stele. The hazy spirit light upon it shot straight into the sky before vanishing into nothingness. The characters upon it completely disappeared.

Yet everyone present knew the truth. The characters had not vanished; they had merely been concealed by the Devil Lord’s power. In the future, anyone who wished to exchange for them would have to present sufficient merit points. And how would those merit points be obtained? Most likely by how many precious ingredients they could gather for him.

With a single slap of his palm, Luo Chen sent the stone stele plunging downward. It embedded itself firmly into the ground of Moon-Inviting Island. Only then did he smile again.

”Everyone, the road ahead is long and difficult. Let us walk together.”

As his words fell, his figure gradually dissipated. At the same time, white mist rose over Moon-Inviting Island, enveloping it completely.

By the lakeside, more than a hundred Initiates looked at one another, their eyes burning with fervor and fixation. A Middle Path Core Formation secret art! From this day onward, the Golden Core Great Dao was no longer a distant hope for the cultivators of the Flying Swallow Archipelago!