An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

Ever since the beginning of his cultivation journey, Luo Chen had known that he was unusually vulnerable to Heart Devils. He had gone through a heart tribulation while still in the Qi Refinement Realm, then nearly lost himself to demonic obsession after reaching Foundation Establishment.

Determined to overcome that weakness, he practiced techniques such as Divine Breaker of Malevolence and the Fine Dust Primordial Art, using them to temper his will and steady his mind. Over time, these efforts gradually shaped his state of mind into something far more resilient, so that Heart Devils could no longer easily shake him.

This change was not always obvious in everyday situations, but it revealed itself whenever he faced genuine danger. Whether he was trapped on Green Parasol Mountain, surrounded in the Land of Fallen Devils, or chased across tens of thousands of li by Moon Hermit, he was always able to stay calm enough to think clearly. Even when he was in fear or when his mind was in chaos, he could keep himself under control and prevent stress from affecting his decisions. Because of this, he never again suffered the kind of Heart Devil attacks that had plagued him during his younger days.

What he had never expected was that, after overcoming that weakness, he would face a far deadlier calamity in the form of an external devil: Han Zhan!

That man had attacked the moment Luo Chen formed his Nascent Soul and survived the tribulation, forcing his way into his sea of consciousness in an attempt to seize his body. The battle was no less perilous than a tribulation and far more direct than any Heart Devil.

More than ten years had passed since then, and Luo Chen had emerged stronger than before, yet the memory still unsettled him whenever it resurfaced. Am I the only cultivator in the world to experience this, or does everyone go through the same thing?

He had turned that question over many times, but without anyone he could consult, he could only leave it unanswered. Speculation would not change anything, and the only reliable safeguard against future dangers was to continue strengthening himself.

In that respect, the calamity Han Zhan brought had, in the end, yielded gains far beyond what most cultivators could imagine. He now held the Great Five Elements Sword Formation, Flying Cloud’s technique for refining sword orbs, and an unrefined metal-attribute sword orb at the True Artifact level, which he could take control of.

As Luo Chen turned the golden orb between his fingers, he gradually understood why Flying Cloud had kept it. In all likelihood, it had been prepared as a replacement in case anything happened to his main sword orb.

Judging from this, Flying Cloud had not actually been a wholly orthodox sword cultivator. A true sword cultivator spent an entire lifetime refining a single sword orb and binding their life so closely to it that they effectively became one. As long as the sword endured, its master remained, and if the master perished, so too would the sword.

Flying Cloud had never possessed the absolute conviction demanded by the Sword Dao. The moment he prepared a spare sword orb, he had already left himself a way out. That hesitation explained why his swordsmanship had felt incomplete—he had never truly embraced the belief that one sword could overcome all else.

Luo Chen chuckled. ”Either way, I’m the one who benefits.”

He stored the formation diagram, the artifact creation manual, and the metal-attribute sword orb together. Although he still needed four sword orbs to complete the set, at least he now had a genuine chance of assembling the Great Five Elements Sword Formation someday.

Only then did he continue examining Flying Cloud’s belt. It had seemed ordinary at first glance, yet the more carefully he searched, the more his expression brightened.

Inside were numerous rare medicinal materials and pills suitable for both Adepts and Sages, along with more than a dozen manuals on subjects seldom reached by the outside world.

Among the items was an unrestricted jade scroll containing exactly what Luo Chen needed at the moment: Geographic Treatise of the Northern Sea.

It recorded the Northern Sea’s geography and the powers occupying each region. Flying Cloud had also added extensive annotations, updating the original text to reflect the upheaval that followed the devil sect’s fall.

In short, Devil’s Snare controlled twelve sea regions, with one governed by each of its Twelve Lineage Lords. The Penglai Immortal Sect had claimed three regions exclusively after returning from the Demon Sea, while the Myriad Immortal Society held eight regions centered around the Hidden Dragon Mountain Range. Although eight regions sounded impressive on paper, the Society’s actual holdings were far less substantial. Three formed the Three Oceans Defensive Line, where relentless attacks from demonic beasts made control difficult to maintain, while another three had long been occupied by the other upper sects. In practice, the Society directly controlled only two prosperous sea regions.

The greatest power in the Northern Sea was unquestionably the Righteous Blue Sea Alliance. Its territory spanned twenty-nine sea regions, each guarded by a Sage, making it the undisputed hegemon of the Northern Sea. Yet this overwhelming advantage had never translated into complete dominion. The alliance was bound together by mutual interest rather than genuine loyalty, and much of its unity rested on Ascendant Li Canghai’s prestige. Had it possessed the discipline and cohesion of a true sect, even Devil’s Snare and the Penglai Immortal Sect might not have dared to oppose it directly.

Luo Chen had little interest in the countless lesser forces scattered across the region. Still, before withdrawing his divine consciousness from the jade scroll, he made a point of locating the territories controlled by the Heaven Origin Trade Alliance.

The alliance governed seven sea regions, but the actual size of their territory was modest compared to the other major powers. Territory, however, had never been the true source of its influence. Its merchants and branches reached into righteous sects, devilish factions, and rogue cultivator communities alike, giving it a foothold across almost the entire Northern Sea. More importantly, the alliance was backed by the Heaven Origin Dao Sect, a colossal power based in the distant Central Continent. Even before the devil sect fell, both sides had carefully avoided interfering in each other’s affairs.

Relieved to have secured such a useful guide, Luo Chen placed the jade scroll where he could retrieve it easily from his storage ring. ”With this map, I should be able to avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble when I return to the cultivation world.”

He then continued sorting through Flying Cloud’s belongings. If there was one thing the belt contained in abundance, it was undoubtedly enchanted treasures!

The most valuable was a top-grade enchanted treasure created solely for artifact creation and alchemy, the Fortified Furnace. It offered no advantage in battle, but its exceptional quality made it priceless to anyone skilled in either craft. Alongside it were three top-grade flying swords, twelve middle-grade enchanted treasures, and a smaller assortment of low-grade enchanted treasures and artifacts. Every single one had been personally refined by Flying Cloud and bore his distinctive cloud-pattern insignia. Taken together, the collection was enough to equip a small upper sect or provide a powerful major sect with a formidable arsenal.

As Luo Chen inspected the treasures, one item seemed oddly out of place. A halberd lay beside the three top-grade flying swords despite being only a low-grade enchanted treasure. Cultivators rarely favored such weapons to begin with, so Flying Cloud would not have stored it among his finest creations without good reason.

He reached for the shaft. The instant he lifted it, the immense weight dragged his wrist downward and sent the blade dipping toward the ground.

”What the hell!?”

How can this thing be so heavy?!

He tightened his grip and brought his other hand around the shaft. Even with his extraordinary physical strength, he had to tense every muscle in his arms before he could slowly raise the halberd and hold it level.

Its weight was staggering, easily into the tens of thousands of jin. An ordinary cultivator might barely manage to control it with divine consciousness, but doing so would consume far too much strength to be practical in battle. Whoever had created the halberd had clearly never intended it for an ordinary immortal cultivator.

Hmmm... Was this made for physique cultivators?

There was only one way to find out. Luo Chen guided a stream of crimson origin energy down his arm and into the weapon. He had never cultivated the fortified qi used by orthodox physique cultivators, but if the weapon responded to physical power rather than a specific technique, his origin energy would work just as well.

And indeed, as a crimson glow spread across the shaft, the crushing burden on his arms eased. The halberd was still very heavy, yet it no longer fought his movements, and he could now swing it without difficulty.

He tested the weapon a few times before a pleased smile crossed his face. Ever since forming his Nascent Soul, he had been planning to make a weapon sturdy enough to withstand his origin energy and powerful enough to make full use of it. He had not even begun gathering materials, yet something perfectly suited to his needs had already fallen into his hands.

The halberd’s grade might be somewhat low, but that hardly diminished its value. Its sheer weight made it a fearsome weapon. Few cultivators would dare meet such a blow head-on, regardless of how powerful their enchanted treasures were.

”I wonder what you’re made from....”