An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

”Purple Spirit Island? Purple Monkey Flowers?”

Within the Society’s headquarters, Moon Hermit slowly pulled her hand back. Across from her, Duan Li sat with a blank expression, his once-gentle bearing gone and his aura greatly weakened.

Purple Empress carefully said, ”The Angler’s account matches what we found from Duan Li. After the Withered Wood Ridge mission, Azure Yang did disappear for a year or two without a reason. The timing fits. But why would he need something as poisonous as Purple Monkey Flowers?”

Why? Moon Hermit did not know. But what she did know was that Azure Yang had gone through the trouble of clearing out the demonic beasts, setting up formations around the island, and cultivating those Purple Monkey Flowers himself. Since he had put in that much effort, the flowers had to serve some major purpose. In other words, he would not give them up so easily.

She waved her sleeve and turned to leave the dungeon.

Purple Empress followed behind her. ”Sage, what should we do with Duan Li?”

”He is still a middle-stage Adept, and his foundation is decent. Keep him alive. I am short on manpower right now. Although I searched his soul, he should still have some combat strength left.”

”What about the Earth Mulberry Sect disciples?”

”Kill them,” Moon Hermit replied flatly.

Purple Empress gave a soft sound of acknowledgement, then asked, ”And the Zhang family on Lotus Picking Island?”

Moon Hermit waved a hand. ”Kill them too. Leave that Zhou... whatever alive. I’ll give some face to the Zhou family of the Coral Sea.”

Purple Empress bowed her head in respectful agreement, though a flicker of unease stirred within her. Moon Hermit seemed to harbor a deep hatred for Azure Yang, and anyone even remotely connected to him was almost always met with a swift death.

After thinking it over, however, she found the resentment understandable. She did not know what had transpired inside the Heaven of Bright Illumination, but Azure Yang had taken the Penglai Eightspire Pavilion from under her nose, and the Angler’s too. That treasure was something Moon Hermit had personally sought, and now that she was focusing so intently on Azure Yang, it was probably in order to reclaim it.

In fact, that suited Purple Empress perfectly. If Azure Yang did not return and the Zhang family was wiped out, then the eight-hundred-li Surging Lake he had invested so much in would become ownerless. When that happened, she could simply step in and pluck the ripe fruit.

***

The wooden kite was indeed incredibly fast. Back then, Luo Chen had spent a full half year traveling from Withered Wood Ridge to Purple Spirit Island. This time, he arrived in less than a month. Although part of that was because he trusted in his own strength and charged straight through without taking detours, the wooden kite’s contribution could not be denied.

Looking at the empty sea region before him, a glimmer of spirit light flickered in his eyes. In the blink of an eye, an island veiled in a faint glow revealed itself before him. It was the concealment formation he had left behind years ago. Without the Seven Star Islands to hide it, Purple Spirit Island was far more exposed than before. If not for the formations he had set up back then, it likely would have drawn the attention of countless cultivators and demonic beasts by now.

Luo Chen remained outside the island and waited quietly for a while. Only when Han Zhan’s voice sounded did he finally relax. ”Aside from one late-stage Initiate, there’s no one else on the island. It seems Moon Hermit hasn’t come here to catch you yet.”

Luo Chen let out a sigh of relief.

As for that Initiate, he was not surprised. Sang Jiugong had told him that the Purple Monkey Flowers would need someone to guard and tend to them while they grew. The person on the island was undoubtedly an Earth Mulberry Sect disciple sent by him.

With a faint smile, he no longer concealed his aura and stepped straight onto Purple Spirit Island.

***

The simple cave residence Luo Chen had set up years ago had clearly been well cared for. Moonlight Herbs, known for calming the mind and soothing the spirit, grew in the corners alongside Pale Spirit Flowers, which helped refine spirit energy and aid qi absorption. From these small details, it was clear that the Initiate had intended to stay here for quite some time.

Luo Chen looked at the honest-looking man before him and nodded in satisfaction. ”Jinghe, you’ve worked hard.”

Sang Jinghe stood respectfully before him, his face filled with surprise. He had never expected Azure Yang to arrive before the Purple Monkey Flowers matured, much less praise his work so highly.

”No worries, Senior. This is my job. Before Third Granduncle passed away, he told me to take good care of the Purple Monkey Flowers here. I haven’t dared slack off for even a single day.”

Luo Chen smiled, though a trace of bitterness lingered in that smile. So Sang Jiugong is already gone....

Ten years after Luo Chen left the Society for the pocket world, Sang Jiugong had quietly reached the end of his lifespan. For an Adept, that could be considered a decent ending, but it was still a pity that Luo Chen had not been able to see him one last time before his final moments.

He still remembered their final meeting on Earth Mulberry Island. Back then, Sang Jiugong had warmly received him and personally shown him around, sharing the sights and stories of the place. It was also during that visit that Sang Jiugong introduced Sang Jinghe to Luo Chen. Though not a direct descendant and only distantly related by blood, he was the only family the man still had. Beyond that faint blood tie, Sang Jinghe had also inherited Sang Jiugong’s skill in spirit planting. In that way, Sang Jiugong had at least left someone to carry on his legacy.

Sang Jiugong had arranged for Sang Jinghe to come here, far from the Earth Mulberry Sect, and the man had quietly remained on Purple Spirit Island for almost thirty years. To other cultivators, such an arrangement might have seemed like some sort of banishment. In Luo Chen’s eyes, however, it was Sang Jiugong’s sincere care for his junior before his death. It kept Sang Jinghe far away from the conflicts of the cultivation world while also allowing him to gain Luo Chen’s goodwill through the merit of tending the Purple Monkey Flowers.

Now that an old friend had passed, Luo Chen would not be stingy in looking after his descendant. After all, this had also been one of the things they had agreed on back then.

After offering Sang Jinghe a few simple words of concern, Luo Chen went straight to the point. ”I need to take all the Purple Monkey Flowers here right now.”

”Eh?” Sang Jinghe froze. ”But they haven’t matured yet! Even with the maturation formation and medicines, they still need at least ten more years.”

Oh? Sang Jiugong said fifty in the beginning, so it seems things are progressing well. Ten years faster is quite the performance.

Luo Chen’s eyebrow arched, but he did not look into it for the time being. He continued, ”After I transplant the spirit herbs here, I won’t be returning to the Society anymore. I plan to leave for another place. Are you willing to come with me?”

Sang Jinghe was stunned again. The Earth Mulberry Sect was still in the Society. According to his third granduncle’s final wish, once he completed this task, he could return and inherit the position of the sect master. But now, Adept Azure Yang wanted to take him away?

For a moment, he hesitated.

Luo Chen did not rush him. Instead, he left the cave residence and arrived before the caldera where the Purple Monkey Flowers were being cultivated.

Whoosh...

A light breeze drifted past. Above the caldera, an eight-sided pavilion came into view.