An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Another half month passed before Luo Chen fully recovered, and by that time, Devil’s Cloud and the Flesh Ganoderma finally returned. The moment he saw Devil’s Cloud’s expression, Luo Chen knew the trip had been fruitful. The man made no attempt to hide his excitement and openly admitted that, under the Flesh Ganoderma’s guidance, they had secured several valuable spirit herbs, including two spirit herbs capable of aiding Nascent Soul formation. Then...

”Devil Lord, about that Divine Iris...” Seeing Luo Chen’s expression darken slightly, Devil’s Cloud hurriedly waved his hands. ”I’m not asking for it for free. I’m willing to pay in spirit stones or trade something of equal value.”

Luo Chen shook his head. ”I’ve only managed to seal the pavilion for now. I haven’t refined it yet, so I can’t access anything inside. Honestly, I can’t even see what spirit herbs are in there, let alone take them out. I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed.”

Devil’s Cloud opened his mouth as though he wished to say something more, but ultimately he only let out a sigh. Whether Luo Chen was telling the truth or not, he had no way to verify it, and even less confidence in challenging him.

Luo Chen paid little attention to the matter. What interested him more was how the Flesh Ganoderma fared. Since returning to the Wood Heaven Plains, its condition had improved dramatically. Perhaps it was due to the abundant wood-attribute spirit energy in the area, but its aura had now surpassed Ding Yi’s even at his peak. Devil’s Cloud’s injuries had also mostly healed after consuming a medicinal herb provided by the Flesh Ganoderma.

After confirming that Luo Chen had fully recovered, the Flesh Ganoderma finally spoke up. ”There is nothing left for us here. Let’s go.”

Luo Chen had no objections. A cloud gathered beneath his feet and lifted him into the sky. Together, the three of them departed the Wood Heaven Plains, weaving through formations both hidden and visible as streaks of light crossed the sky. Their destination lay ahead in the final area of the Heaven of the Five Elements.

***

Azure Tide!

The moment Luo Chen and the others set foot within that region, their expressions all changed simultaneously. A faint yet terrifying pressure permeated every corner of the region.

The Flesh Ganoderma crouched down and scooped up a handful of mud mixed with sediment. Its expression immediately darkened. ”Azure Tide wasn’t like this before!”

Luo Chen also bent down and gathered a handful of the mud. After bringing it to his nose, his gaze sharpened. ”Demonic energy! The entire marshland is saturated with it!”

The realization immediately put everyone on guard—there should not have been any demonic beasts within the Heaven of the Five Elements! The pocket world was inhabited only by elemental sprites and various strange lifeforms. Whether those beings had come to life naturally or had been created by the Monarch, one fact remained unchanged: they were not demonic beasts.

According to the Flesh Ganoderma, Azure Tide had been no different from every other place in the pocket world. This place was home to countless water monsters, among which a fifth-tier Azure Tide Water Monster reigned supreme over them all. Within its own territory, that monster was no weaker than the Iron-Devouring Beast, Skyloam, or the Vermilion Bird Fire Sprite that dominated the other areas. Even the three overlords of Hundred-Crow Ghost Forest rarely ventured into Azure Tide, much less provoked its ruler. Their original plan had been to quietly cross Azure Tide while avoiding the water monster altogether. Now, however, it was obvious that something had changed.

After taking a deep breath, the Flesh Ganoderma made a decision. ”It’s fine. Let’s stick to the original plan. Keep low and don’t go looking for trouble.”

Luo Chen nodded in agreement. Of all the domains within the Heaven of the Five Elements, Azure Tide was where his strength was restrained the most. Fighting here was the last thing he wanted. The three of them thus crossed the marshes through the air, and Luo Chen summoned Black King, whose mastery of water arts made him ideal for the environment.

As the group pressed further into Azure Tide, the demonic energy around them grew pronounced.

One day, Black King suddenly said, ”Master, there’s something below us!”

The Flesh Ganoderma turned around and frowned.

Luo Chen waved a hand. ”It’s fine. Let’s just take a look.”

At his signal, Black King opened its mouth and unleashed a powerful stream of water. The torrent blasted away the black swamp mud, exposing what lay hidden underneath.

The sight that emerged was enough to make anyone’s scalp tingle. Beneath the marsh was a dense, writhing mass of worm-like demonic beasts tangled together in enormous clusters. They twisted over one another, burrowing through the mud as they slowly crawled toward the outer regions.

Devil’s Cloud blurted out instinctively. ”Earthworms?”

Having seen and heard much in his travels, Luo Chen vaguely recognized the creatures. He immediately shook his head. ”Not earthworms. Those are dragonworms.”

Devil’s Cloud stared in astonishment and pointed at the dragonworms below, each at least half a zhang in length. ”How are there dragonworms this big?”

He could see clearly that these beasts were no higher than the first tier. Unlike most demonic beasts, which were known for their size, dragonworms were naturally tiny from birth. They were low-tier demonic beasts with both water and earth attributes and were commonly raised by major sects to nurture spirit soil.

Luo Chen cautiously beckoned one of the dragonworms over and examined it closely. ”These aren’t ordinary dragonworms.”

Taking a deep breath, he gently returned the demonic beast to the swamp.

”What do you mean?” the Flesh Ganoderma asked in confusion.

Luo Chen pointed toward the dragonworms constantly burrowing outward. ”Look carefully. They’re secreting mucus and spitting out mud. Azure Tide turning into a swamp is probably their doing.”

The Flesh Ganoderma narrowed its eyes and observed more carefully. Sure enough, every dragonworm was secreting mucus that blended into the surrounding waters, while clumps of mud were constantly being expelled from their mouths. It was obvious that through sheer numbers and some strange ability, they were gradually eroding and claiming Azure Tide for themselves.

”How is that possible?” the Flesh Ganoderma muttered, its expression shifting repeatedly. ”Has the Azure Tide Water Monster really just been letting them do this?”

Luo Chen pressed his lips together and cast Cleanse, removing the faint earthy odor clinging to him. ”I don’t know what the Azure Tide Water Monster is doing. More likely, it can barely take care of itself right now. Dragonworms live in groups, and truly wild ones are rare these days. Most were captured by the major sects long ago and used to improve the quality of spirit soil. For so many mutated low-tier dragonworms to show up here, there has to be something powerful leading them. And if they’re trying to corrupt the entire area and make it their own, then whatever is behind this is definitely no simple scheme.”

Han Zhan’s voice echoed in Luo Chen’s mind. ”Someone is doing exactly what you did in Blazing Purgatory.”

What had he done in Blazing Purgatory? He had devoured Sourceless Flames, walked the path of a fire sprite, and even attempted to merge himself with the region itself. At one point, the process had progressed so far that he had begun showing signs of being assimilated in return. Had Han Zhan not warned him in time, he might have continued down that road without ever realizing the danger.

With that reminder, the strange changes throughout Azure Tide suddenly became much easier to understand. Someone was transforming the environment around them, slowly reshaping the entire region to suit their own nature. At the same time, they were using that transformation to merge themselves into Azure Tide itself. The purpose was obvious. They were trying to harmonize with the domain and comprehend the Law of Water left behind by the Monarch. Anyone capable of pursuing such a path could not possibly be ordinary. Something powerful was hiding here!

Sure enough, on the seventh day of crossing the marshlands, a Dragonworm King emerged from the depths of the great swamp and blocked the path of Luo Chen’s group. Faced with the sudden appearance of a Dragonworm King, all three did not take it lightly. It opened its mouth and spoke in a hoarse human tongue. ”My Lord is communing with Heaven and Earth. None of you may disturb.”

As its words echoed across the marsh, the surrounding demonic energy thickened noticeably. The swampy terrain churned as though alive, and faint outlines of living creatures could be seen moving beneath the surface.

Devil’s Cloud swallowed nervously. ”Our apologies. We’ll take a detour immediately.”

Neither the Flesh Ganoderma nor Luo Chen objected. They immediately changed direction and began circling around the area. Throughout the entire process, the Dragonworm King made no move to pursue them, merely watching their departure with indifference. Perhaps pursuit was unnecessary. Azure Tide was already filled with countless low-tier dragonworms, and no matter how well Luo Chen’s group concealed themselves, there was nowhere for them to hide.

As they departed, a prickling sensation crawled across Luo Chen’s back as a name surfaced in his mind, something he’d seen while reading up on the Northern Sea. Wait... The master of the dragonworms? Prime Dragon Fallen Abyss! The demon that stirred up chaos in the depths of the Demon Sea and slaughtered countless humans! It actually entered the Land of Fallen Devils as well!

Seeing that even someone as powerful as Luo Chen had fallen silent, Devil’s Cloud immediately realized that the demon occupying this region was definitely not someone they could afford to provoke.

As for the Flesh Ganoderma, it seemed to have thought of something. Its eyes darted about, as though some new scheme had just occurred to it.

Suddenly, Luo Chen glanced back at it. ”Fellow Daoist Flesh Ganoderma, we agreed not to cause any unnecessary trouble.”

With its thoughts laid bare, the Flesh Ganoderma forced out a smile. ”My true body is about to be freed. Why would I do something like that? Fellow Daoist, you’re worrying too much.”

Luo Chen merely snorted and picked up speed, unwilling to stay in the area for even a moment longer.