An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

The Black Sovereign Paste was a type of spirit medicine with no specific tier. That sounded odd to someone not in the know, yet it was nothing unusual. Within the cultivation world, many rare spirit medicines didn’t have an assigned tier. Of course, this did not mean that paste was weak or unclassified; rather, it was just that the tier was not fixed. Ultimately, the tier of this type of spirit medicine depended highly on the main ingredients used. In other words, the higher the quality of the primary material, the higher the tier of the final product.

According to the formula Han Zhan had produced, first-tier ingredients could be used to make second-tier paste, while second-tier ingredients could yield third-tier paste. Naturally, to refine fourth-tier paste, one needed at least a third-tier ingredient.

As for what the main ingredients were? That was rather flexible. Any demonic beast’s scales, shell, hide, exoskeleton, or generally hardened exterior could be used as the main ingredient. It was precisely by extracting this inherent toughness of a demonic beast that the Falling Cloud Sect had crafted puppets that far surpassed those of other sects within the Eastern Wilderness.

Of course, where there were pros, there were bound to be cons also. In this case, precisely the advantage of being able to use anything high-tier turned into the disadvantage of having to use something high-tier. And since most of the Eastern Wilderness was far lacking in high-level demonic beasts compared to the Northern Sea, the Falling Cloud Sect was also sorely lacking high-tier Black Sovereign Paste. In fact, it was also sorely lacking third-tier paste, and for the most part, it had to do with second-tier one. Back when Luo Chen was wounded on the Heavenly Drum Plains battlefield, the bottle of paste Han Zhan bestowed upon him was third-tier, and that was a massive favor.

As a gesture of goodwill to begin their cooperation, Han Zhan had now presented him with the formula, and Luo Chen wasted no time studying it. The formula was not complicated, and after going through it a few times, he used available materials from the Flying Swallow Archipelago to refine it. There were failures and successes alike, along with many insights. He discovered that this paste was best refined using shells of living demonic beasts; only then could its medicinal properties be maximized. Yet although the seas near the Flying Swallow teemed with sea demons, they were not particularly famous for the toughness of their shells and scales. In other words, they simply wouldn’t do.

Thus, after consulting Cheng Haixin and the others, he marked several potential destinations. One was the Profound Rock Sea Region, where crab-type demonic beasts roamed in abundance. Another was the Heavenly Casket Sea Region, teeming with shrimp-type demonic beasts and even rumored to harbor remnants of ancient wild beasts. The final option was the renowned Sunken Sea, said to have once been home to large numbers of tortoise-type demonic beasts bearing traces of the ancient Black Tortoise bloodline.

Among these, Luo Chen quickly made his choice. The Sunken Sea was too far away, and the Heavenly Casket Sea Region was too dangerous. By comparison, the Profound Rock Sea Region was closer and relatively safe. It was the optimal choice.

After making all preparations, he set out without hesitation. To prevent getting lost, he invited Cheng Ji, the Cheng family’s most experienced sailor, to pilot the demon-hunting ship and escort him for the journey.

At that moment, Luo Chen held the alchemical formula written by Han Zhan and studied it repeatedly. He wanted to ensure that upon arrival he could slay demonic beasts, extract ingredients, refine the paste, and work on his physique in one perfect sequence. He did not want to be stalled at the most basic step. He had already obtained the auxiliary ingredients for the paste, and all of them were waiting in his storage ring. All that remained was to obtain demonic beast shells and refine them.

As he continued studying the formula, a voice transmission suddenly entered his ear. Luo Chen’s thoughts stirred, and he retrieved a blood-colored token from his storage ring. ”Is there a problem with this?”

From within the Myriad Soul Banner opposite him, Han Zhan’s voice drifted out. ”There is nothing wrong with the token itself. However, any keepsake belonging to a Sage usually carries some tracking method. If you do not wish for someone to trace you directly, it would be best to handle it.”

Luo Chen frowned slightly. ”Even a storage ring cannot sever that connection?”

Han Zhan smiled faintly. ”A high-tier storage ring might work. But yours...”

Luo Chen looked at the black ring on his finger. The Thundernet Hoard Ring had been obtained from the pocket world of Bai Ye. Its basic materials were not anything special, and it had originally been used to store Lightning Essence. Only after being infused by it for a long time had it barely advanced to become an enchanted treasure. It seemed like it was too much for it to do things like concealing aura or blocking the tracking abilities of a Sage.

After pondering for a moment, he asked, ”What should I do?”

”Give it to me.”

Without hesitation, Luo Chen handed over the Blood Nightmare Token. From within the banner, strands of black qi drifted out and wound themselves around the token in intricate patterns.

Gradually, the blood-colored glow faded. Luo Chen arched a brow. ”That’s it?”

Han Zhan smiled. ”With my divine soul foundation, an ordinary Sage can forget about tracking me. Of course, if you still feel uneasy, you may add further precautions.”

”Oh? Please teach me,” Luo Chen said humbly.

”It’s simple. Don’t you have an aura-concealing formation inscribed onto your honorable self? Just use your divine consciousness to carve it into this ring as well. If you’re still worried, then carve a few extra layers.” Han Zhan paused, then added with faint admiration, ”I’ve never seen anyone take a basic formation and transform it into something at that level. If you inscribe it and add some of my tricks on top, then even Blood Nightmare himself will not be able to find you.”[1]

With matters laid out so clearly, Luo Chen naturally had no objections. It was merely engraving a formation with divine consciousness. Over the years, after opening countless storage pouches and practicing basic formations countless times, he had grown perfectly familiar with the process. And compared to spirit consciousness, divine consciousness was far more powerful.

In no more than a few breaths, Luo Chen engraved five layers of Concealment Veil upon his storage ring. When he focused his gaze upon it, even he felt an instinctive urge to overlook the ring’s presence.

This will do. Most Adepts still use storage pouches. If I can remain low-key, I should.

Luo Chen smiled and placed the token into a storage pouch. He then stepped onto the deck. He gazed at the boundless sea, and his mood gradually calmed.

”Return!”

After sending the transmission, currents churned beneath the sea. Then—

”ROARRRRR!”

Under the sunlight, a black-scaled creature soared from the sea and sprayed water everywhere. A short horn jutted from its head. It was the third-tier Black-Scaled Flood Dragon that had once belonged to Kun Jiao of the Flood Dragon Gang. After capturing it, Luo Chen had expended considerable effort to enslave it through the Myriad Beast Sutra.

Unfortunately, the process had severely damaged the flood dragon’s primal qi. Not long ago, it had stared at the five Blue-Ringed Great Fang Sea Serpents with greed and had even attempted to devour them to replenish its strength. Now that it had returned to the open sea, it moved with ease and confidence. It swam ahead to scout the waters while simultaneously hunting fish, shrimp, and crabs to restore its primal qi.

”At this speed, it will take at least a month to reach the Profound Rock Sea Region. That should be enough time for it to recover to its peak.”

Even at full strength, the flood dragon stood little chance against an Adept, but it exerted overwhelming dominance over lower-tier demonic beasts. With it accompanying him, his upcoming plans would proceed much more smoothly.

Kun Jiao’s legacy was not limited to this demonic beast. Within his storage pouch lay a considerable fortune. There were over two hundred thousand spirit stones, making him wealthy among Initiates. Although the remaining materials were few in variety, they were valuable. Almost all of them were auxiliary resources prepared in anticipation of Core Formation. Naturally, Luo Chen had no use for them, but they would serve well for trade or rewards.

”Master, what are your orders?” asked the Black-Scaled Flood Dragon in a rough voice as it sprawled across the deck.

Luo Chen shook his head lightly and casually tossed out a handful of Spirit Feed Pellets. ”Nothing for now. Just keep circling the area and stay alert. If you come across any powerful demonic beasts, warn me straight away.”

The Black-Scaled Flood Dragon inhaled sharply, and the entire handful of Spirit Feed Pellets flew straight into its mouth. After swallowing, it returned to the sea. As it descended, the nearby Blue-Ringed Great Fang Sea Serpents trembled and deliberately kept their distance from it. Among demonic beasts, the distinction of realms was clear and the hierarchy strict, even more so than among humans.

***

A month later, a battle-scarred demon-hunting ship anchored outside a stretch of sea crowded with jagged reefs. Luo Chen stood at the prow and gazed into the distance, a trace of vigilance in his eyes.

The old man beside him spoke cautiously, ”The Profound Rock Sea Region is overrun with crab demons. There are countless crab clans, led by the five great royal clans: the Overlord Crabs, Green Emperor Crabs, Crimson Rock Crabs, Demon Spider Crabs, and Nine-Legged Venom King Crabs. And it’s not just the crabs. Many other demon clans thrive there as well. Any race that can survive amid those swarming crab hordes is certainly not weak. There are demons like the Ring-Headed Turtles, the Sea King Squids... and more. Devil Lord, you must be cautious. Please, do not take this lightly.”

The speaker was naturally Cheng Ji, the Initiate Luo Chen had once rescued when he first arrived in the Northern Sea and landed aboard the Cheng family’s demon-hunting ship. He was an experienced navigator, skilled in helmsmanship and treasure appraisal. He was simply invaluable for the Cheng family. Had it not been for Luo Chen’s direct request, he would never have traveled such a great distance to escort anyone anywhere.

Although much of what Cheng Ji recounted was information Luo Chen had already studied in books, he still listened patiently. There were indeed a few details that differed from what he’d read. For instance, records stated that the Profound Rock Sea Region possessed seven royal crab clans. As it turned out, only five remained. That single detail alone allowed Luo Chen to prepare more thoroughly. After hearing the elder’s warnings in full, he nodded and said, ”Thank you for making the journey, Elder Cheng.”

Cheng Ji hurriedly waved his hands. ”I dare not accept such courtesy from you.”

Luo Chen smiled faintly and raised his hand. At once, five massive beasts surfaced upon the sea—white bodies ringed with blue, great fangs gleaming. They were the five Blue-Ringed Great Fang Sea Serpents, each comparable to an Initiate.

”The journey back is long and the seas are unpredictable. Let these five demonic beasts serve as your escort.”

Cheng Ji hesitated for a moment, but did not decline. He clearly understood how dangerous such a long journey was for an Initiate like him. With five second-tier sea serpents as escorts, and relying on his extensive experience at sea, his chances of getting back home unscathed would increase significantly.

”Thank you, Devil Lord!”

”It’s no problem. You may return now.”

1. In the raws, Han Zhan mentions the Concealment Veil Formation by name and then calls it a common formation, but that is not possible because Min Longyu created it from scratch specifically for Luo Chen. We can logically assume that aura-concealing formations in general do exist and Concealment Veil is based on one, so we reworded the paragraph to that effect. ☜