An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Hoooo... Hissss...

A crimson-robed man slipped out a satisfied groan before he could stop himself, earning odd looks from the other two. Yet neither found Luo Chen’s lapse particularly surprising. The moment they crossed into Blazing Purgatory, the spirit energy around them changed completely. Gone was the piercing aura of the Thousand Blade Mountains and the oppressive earth-element force that weighed upon them in the Quicksand Sea. In its place was the abundant fire-attribute spirit energy, vigorous, restless, and brimming with power. It even felt as though every breath carried sparks of fire.

Such an extreme environment was naturally uncomfortable for the wood-attribute Flesh Ganoderma, but for Luo Chen, whose cultivation revolved entirely around fire, it felt like returning home. The abundant fire spirit energy resonated with him, leaving him refreshed and completely at ease.

He was not the only one benefiting from the change. Devil’s Cloud, who also practiced a fire-element cultivation art, stretched his body and took several deep breaths. Once the pressure that had weighed on him throughout their journey was lifted, the resentment he had bottled up over Luo Chen’s reckless actions resurfaced. ”Why’d you have to provoke it? We nearly got trapped in there!”

Luo Chen merely cast him a sidelong glance. ”What I do is none of your business.”

Devil’s Cloud’s expression darkened instantly at his snappy tone. Ever since forming an alliance with Luo Chen, nothing had gone smoothly. First came the delays before entering the Sunken Sea, then the trouble in the Ghost Immortal Tower that nearly cost them their lives. After finally reaching the Land of Fallen Devils, Luo Chen had even maneuvered him into facing a fourth-tier golden eagle. Devil’s Cloud was a renowned artisan grandmaster whom countless people respected; never in all his years had he suffered such treatment. Now that they were in a place overflowing with fire-attribute spirit energy, perfectly suited to his cultivation, it seemed the perfect time to settle things properly.

A strand of white flame rose from his body. Seeing this, Luo Chen’s eyes narrowed slightly. Just as the atmosphere turned hostile, a hand landed on Devil’s Cloud’s shoulder. The Flesh Ganoderma’s calm voice cut through the anger clouding his mind.

”You’re not thinking straight.”

Devil’s Cloud froze. ”I...”

He turned to look at the Flesh Ganoderma and abruptly came to his senses. When he looked back at Luo Chen, the cold killing intent radiating from the man felt like a bucket of icy water dumped over his head. How could he ever dare to provoke Azure Yang? This was someone who had escaped alive from the master of the Quicksand Sea! Moreover, Azure Yang’s battle prowess had become the subject of countless legends throughout the Society. Sure, Devil’s Cloud was a seventh-stage Adept, but he was an artisan. How could he ever compare to a battle-hardened expert like Azure Yang?

Luo Chen let out a faint snort and paid no further attention to him. Instead, he turned toward the Flesh Ganoderma.

”Why was Skyloam so determined to seize that dragon soul?”

The Flesh Ganoderma glanced at Luo Chen’s hand, with two rings adorning his fingers—one dark green, and the other black. The white banner containing the dragon soul was now stored inside the black ring.

After some thought, it said, ”I’ve been wondering the same thing ever since we left. I have a theory, but it’s really only a theory. We might be comparable to Ascendants in terms of rank, but we don’t actually have the power of that level. We carry fragments of the Laws of Heaven and Earth within us, but we can barely use them properly. Worse still, because of the nature of our bodies, the Laws we possess are inherently incomplete.”

Luo Chen frowned as he thought of the fifth-tier Withered Blood Vine. It was a perfect parallel. First of all, it was very difficult for plants, metals, and stones, or any of such lifeforms, to develop intelligence. In fact, they only had that chance at very high tiers. Put simply, it was like having the body of a strongman with the mind of a toddler. As a result, poor control, limited applications of power, and a lack of refined abilities were common weaknesses among sprites. Their greatest strength usually lay in controlling the lands where they had grown, turning these places into their own domains, and using those domains to crush any intruders. The Withered Blood Vine ruled over all of Withered Wood Ridge in much the same way Skyloam dominated the Quicksand Sea.

”But that’s just me. Skyloam’s situation is actually worse. Heaven Refiner created it artificially, so no matter how deep its foundation is, it’s still incomplete, and as a result, it can’t wield its own power properly. I think it has spent all these years splitting itself apart and trying to master that power piece by piece before putting itself back together. If you ask me, that dragon soul was probably once a sprite or an ancient beast that comprehended an Earth Law. That’s why Skyloam wanted to devour it: because it was trying to complete itself.”

The Flesh Ganoderma paused for a moment, then continued thoughtfully, ”As far as I know, that stretch of wasteland was not originally in the Quicksand Sea. It must have been created by the dragon soul.”

Luo Chen frowned again. His understanding of the Laws was extremely limited. Even after hearing the explanation, it felt as though he were peering through fog, able to make out only fragments of the truth. But rather than dwelling on matters beyond his comprehension, he went straight to the heart of the matter. ”Then where did it even come from?”

”It doesn’t belong here,” the Flesh Ganoderma replied without hesitation. ”It’s an outsider.”

”An outsider?” Luo Chen was surprised.

Devil’s Cloud, who had been listening in silence the entire time, suddenly spoke up. ”Earlier, I heard Skyloam call it Stone Dragon. That name reminds me of an old legend I heard from the Society.”

Stone Dragon?

That name suddenly made something click in Luo Chen’s mind. Years ago, an Adept on Winding Island had told him a story about the Hidden Dragon Mountain Range. According to legend, the mountain range had formed from the remains of a Titan Beast known as the Stone Dragon. Later came the war between humans and demons; humanity established its rule over the Five Territories, and the Primordial Devil Sect seized control of the Northern Sea.

During that era, an Ascendant of the devil sect passed through the Hidden Dragon Mountains and extracted the soul lingering there to strengthen the sect’s stronghold, Heaven of Northern Yama. But although most believed that the Stone Dragon had been an archaic beast, some others considered it had originally been a mineral that gained sentience and eventually cultivated its way to Dao. In other words, it was not the soul of a dragon that had died in the mountains, but the very spirit of the mountains themselves! And if that was true, it explained why Skyloam was so determined to obtain the Stone Dragon’s soul. As an artificially created sprite, what it lacked most was the innate characteristics of things that arose naturally from heaven and earth.

After pondering the matter for a while, Luo Chen slowly voiced another possibility. ”I heard that a few hundred years ago, an Ascendant personally entered the Sunken Sea and never returned. Some people even say he died here. Could he have been the one who brought the Stone Dragon’s lingering soul here?”

”Oh, that man?” The Flesh Ganoderma suddenly laughed.

Both Luo Chen and Devil’s Cloud looked at it curiously.

The Flesh Ganoderma shrugged. ”I remember him well. In fact, if it weren’t for him, I never would’ve had the chance to split off my will and escape the Land of Fallen Devils. To answer your question, yes, he did come here 300 years ago, and he brought a group of cultivators proficient in formations with him. I can’t remember much about the other people, but I know very well what became of him.”

It paused a bit, then added matter-of-factly, ”He entered the inheritance grounds and died inside.”

Luo Chen’s and Devil’s Cloud’s eyes widened in shock. ”He what?!”

Even though they had already suspected as much, hearing the answer confirmed so directly was still difficult to accept. After all, the man had been a mighty Ascendant, someone at the very peak of power in this world.

The Flesh Ganoderma curled its lips in an ironic smirk. ”Served him right.”

Seeing their confusion, it patiently explained, ”The inheritance grounds are exactly what the name implies. A place Heaven Refiner created to pass down an inheritance. The people it’s meant for are exceptional fresh talents, particularly those who haven’t found their own path. But that’s an Ascendant we’re talking about. By the time they reach that realm, people would have already carved their own Dao. If someone like that still wants to inherit another person’s Great Dao, wouldn’t you say he just brought death upon himself?”

Luo Chen and Devil’s Cloud exchanged glances, neither knowing how to respond. Could they really say an Ascendant deserved death? Yet, as the Flesh Ganoderma had said, trying to seize another person’s Great Dao despite already having a clear path of one’s own was indeed an act of senseless greed.