Immortality begins with Becoming an Alchemy Grandmaster

Chapter 1710: Chapter 628: Black King Returns, First Landing on Mo Yun

Beside Peng Island.

The Daoist stood with hands clasped behind his back, quietly gazing at the water surface where dark currents surged.

Suddenly.

Crash!

The lake water split apart as if pushed by hands, and a giant unicorn dragon head slowly rose from the depths. Once fully revealed, its flood dragon and python-like head towered significantly higher than the white-robed Daoist.

Though its posture was imposing, the dragon’s eyes were filled with reverence.

”Master, the Black King has returned.”

Luo Chen gazed at him calmly, his Divine Consciousness radiating naturally, sweeping over the Black King’s entire body.

The aura appeared somewhat languid, but there were no visible injuries—just the weariness from extended travel.

If there were no wounds, then why had he been delayed for so long?

Suddenly.

Luo Chen’s aggressive Divine Consciousness landed on the dragon’s python-like head.

”Your Divine Soul has been injured?”

The Black King drooped his head slightly, seeming unenergetic, exhaling a deep dragon’s breath. ”Master’s insight is sharp. Indeed, the Black King suffered from soul poison.”

”Soul poison? Is it the toxic miasma emitted by the Purple Monkey Flower?”

”Yes, precisely.”

Upon receiving this confirmation, Luo Chen felt delight instead of worry.

A soul poison capable of injuring the Black King’s Divine Soul must have originated from at least a Fourth-Order Purple Monkey Flower.

And for refining the Nascent Soul Formation Pill, the main ingredient requirement was indeed a Fourth-Order Purple Monkey Flower.

In that case, Purple Spirit Island undoubtedly housed the necessary resource!

As expected, the subsequent report from the Black King confirmed the presence of Fourth-Order Purple Monkey Flowers on Purple Spirit Island.

”You’ve worked hard.”

Luo Chen offered his acknowledgment, then asked about specific details and the reason behind the delayed return.

”The route depicted on the map was largely accurate.”

”However, perhaps due to the passage of time, some spiritless islands had transformed into rich spirit lands over the ages, attracting powerful demon beasts to occupy them. On the way there, I accidentally intruded into the territories of several Demon Kings, forcing me into battles.”

”Upon reaching the destination, I consumed the Detoxification Pill crafted by Master and employed the Qi-Concealing Technique to stealthily ascend Purple Spirit Island and search for the Purple Monkey Flower. But there was barely any need to search—the island was covered in Purple Monkey Flowers!”

”Yes, absolutely covered! It felt as though the entire island was a kingdom of Purple Monkey Flowers.”

”The only issue was that most of the abundant Purple Monkey Flowers were of low order. Little Black thought about Master’s requirement for Fourth-Order Purple Monkey Flowers and began searching discreetly.”

”Purple Spirit Island isn’t safe; it’s populated by several demon beasts bewitched by the Purple Monkey Flowers, including formidable Third-Order Demon Kings. Especially the Purple Qi Poison Monkeys!”

The ancient records state that wherever Purple Qi Poison Monkeys reside, Purple Monkey Flowers will be present. However, the causality is reversed.

In truth, the Purple Monkey Flowers came first, and the Purple Qi Poison Monkeys followed, as the latter evolved into a specialized demon beast species due to long-term manipulation by the flowers.

”These Purple Qi Poison Monkeys have a strong territorial instinct against outsiders but prefer group living within their own kind. I avoided them intentionally, wanting to prevent a confrontation. But ultimately, when I discovered the Fourth-Order Purple Monkey Flower, I had to face a large number of Third-Order Monkey Kings.”

”These Third-Order Purple Qi Poison Monkeys aren’t particularly powerful, and their attack methods are quite limited. If I had sufficient time, Little Black could handle them one by one.”

”But time, time was the problem!”

”The longer you stay on the island, the more you’re exposed to the pervasive Purple Qi Poison miasma. Eventually, even my demon soul was affected. The Detoxification Pill given by Master retained less than ten percent of its efficacy.”

”Given the increasing number of Purple Qi Poison Monkeys encircling me, and the concern about devastating Purple Spirit Island during a battle, I had no choice but to flee in humiliation.”

”After escaping Purple Spirit Island, my consciousness became foggy, and my power greatly diminished. To prevent danger on the return trip, I found a place to heal, avoided the Demon Kings’ territories, and finally returned to Penghu, though late by half a year.”

As the Black King detailed the experience, Luo Chen gradually formed an outline of the route to Purple Spirit Island and what conditions to expect on the island.

Finally.

He asked an additional question.

”Did you encounter any human cultivators along the way?”

”No,” the Black King shook his head, causing ripples to cascade outward.

As the ripple spread from the center outward, Luo Chen’s mood finally settled.

Overall, the Black King’s solo mission was a success.

He had verified the route and discovered the Fourth-Order Purple Monkey Flowers Luo Chen needed. Though the number of Fourth-Order flowers was limited, the island was teeming with potential—a complete realm of Purple Monkey Flowers!

Additionally, the Black King’s journey alleviated concerns about someone deliberately planting false information about the flowers to lure Luo Chen into a trap.

This was something Luo Chen had been particularly wary of.

Especially after Ding Yi used the Five Elements Lotus Stand as bait to invite him to Oblivion Sea, Luo Chen had become increasingly cautious regarding matters concerning Purple Spirit Island.

After all, the Qingyang Store had issued a mission years ago relating to the Purple Monkey Flower and the Five Elements Lotus Stand, which undoubtedly caught the attention of many schemers. Luo Chen had no choice but to tread carefully.

Ding Yi was one such instance. Who’s to say Purple Monkey Flower wasn’t another?

Now, it seemed everything was worry-free.

Beside him, Tian Xuan couldn’t help but express concern.

”Master, given Black King’s description, the Fourth-Order Purple Monkey Flowers can already affect beings at the level of Third-Order Demon Kings. Wouldn’t they pose significant danger to Golden Core cultivators as well?”

Luo Chen nodded.

”Additionally, the island is inhabited by numerous powerful entities bewitched by the flowers. If we plan to take over the island, it would inevitably lead to conflict. Such battles would no doubt harm the landscape and the spirit plants themselves, correct?”

Luo Chen nodded again, though his expression remained unconcerned.

Seeing his reaction, Tian Xuan was puzzled.

Luo Chen chuckled lightly, ”These aren’t real problems. They can be dealt with one by one.”

Indeed, for Luo Chen, as long as external manipulative forces weren’t at play, other issues were mere inconveniences.

”Ugh!”

Right before Luo Chen and Tian Xuan, the Black King heaved, suddenly vomiting out an object cloaked in black liquid.

Tian Xuan frowned, ”Didn’t I teach you how to use a storage bag?”

The Black King grinned sheepishly, ”Old habits die hard.”

Soon, as the black liquid dripped away, the object’s true form emerged—radiating a purple glow, its stem resembling muscle blood vessels, the flowers densely layered and clustered together. It looked eerily like a physical ”brain” ripped out from some creature.

It was unmistakably a Purple Monkey Flower, identical to the descriptions in ancient records.

The root of the plant was entangled with a lump of fresh red soil.

With a wave of his hand, Luo Chen brought the Purple Monkey Flower before him, carefully inspecting the purple hues across the layered blossoms.

One, two, three!

”A Third-Order Purple Monkey Flower. Good! Having this live specimen increases my confidence in conquering Purple Spirit Island.”

Luo Chen withdrew his gaze and smiled warmly at the Black King.

”You’ve been thoughtful. Rest and recover now!”

”Master, I’m fine. After leaving Purple Spirit Island, the soul poison gradually diminished, and I’ve mostly recovered during my journey back. When you head to Purple Spirit Island, you must bring me along; I plan to teach those monkeys a lesson!”

With those words, the Black King turned and dove back into the lake.

Standing by the lakeshore, Luo Chen held the Purple Monkey Flower, his gaze fixed upon the now calm lake surface as he sank into contemplation.

From his lips, faint murmurs occasionally escaped.

Purple Spirit Island... Ding Yi... Five Elements Lotus Stand... Oblivion Sea...

...

Mount Moyun.

This was Luo Chen’s first visit to the renowned spiritual mountain within the Ten Thousand Immortals Gathering.

Of course, he knew full well that the fame wasn’t attributed to Mount Moyun itself, but to the Tool Casting Master, the Moyun Cave Lord.

Guided by a Moyun Mountain cultivator, Luo Chen strolled leisurely up the path to the peak.

Along the way, his Divine Consciousness spread out intermittently, taking in the sights of various structures scattered across the mountain.

A dense atmosphere of earth fire and the fervent clanging of hammering iron resonated within his Sea of Consciousness through his sensory observation.

”Mount Moyun indeed lives up to its reputation as one of the rare earth fire-enriched regions within the Hidden Dragon Mountain Range—a heavenly haven perfectly suited for tool casting and pill refinement!”

Luo Chen sighed in admiration.

The Foundation Establishment cultivator accompanying him responded proudly, ”Master praises us too highly. However, the reputation of Mount Moyun’s expertise in tool casting is indeed well-earned. Across the Ten Thousand Immortals Gathering, countless rogue cultivators rely on us to repair their magical weapons and treasures. As they often say, if the Cave Lord wished to establish a sect, Mount Moyun could easily become a top-tier Tool Casting Great Sect!”

A top-tier Tool Casting Great Sect?

Exceeding smaller powers like the Duan Family and Refining Sharpedge, contending with forces such as the Flame Alliance and Hundred Craft Mountain?

Luo Chen neither affirmed nor denied.

Yet, he did not dispute the earlier claim that ”the Ten Thousand Immortals Gathering’s independent cultivators rely heavily on Mount Moyun.”

Given the constant battles faced along the Three Oceans Defensive Line, the wear and tear of magical weapons and treasures remained a significant issue.

Though magical weapons and treasures are often said to last for centuries, repaired and refurbished over subsequent centuries, eventually becoming family heirlooms passed down through generations...

That only applies to exceptionally high-quality treasures!

The average cultivator, needless to say, rarely possesses such treasures.

With frequent battles, the deterioration of magical weapons and treasures was inevitable.

Luo Chen himself had experienced it firsthand—during the Qi Refinement Stage, he fought so often that he ruined his cherished Green Musk Aggregation Jiao Flag. During the Foundation Establishment Stage, the intensity of battles lessened but overuse still cost him a pair of Fiery Cloud Wings. During the Golden Core Period, however, the battle on Mysterious Rock Island brought devastating losses: first, against the Nine Claw Poison King Crab, two out of the Soul Breaking Three Nails—the Qi Breaking Nail and Armor Breaking Nail—were destroyed, leaving only the Soul Nail intact; then, against the Golden Armor Demon King, his most trusted Xuanhuo Sword was shattered.

Even someone as capable as Luo Chen faced significant losses in weaponry.

It was far worse for the independent cultivators.

With such demands, Mount Moyun’s reputation as a holy site for tool casting naturally flourished, earning unparalleled profits.

Through commissions from the Demon Hunter Bureau, Mount Moyun cultivators regularly repaired magical weapons and treasures for the Ten Thousand Immortals Gathering participants.

This was their primary source of income!

It was also one of the reasons the Moyun Cave Lord maintained composure amidst Luo Chen’s rising prominence.

No matter how many defense magic items Luo Chen could create in a year, he lacked a large-scale workforce for tool casting, preventing any competition over Moyun Cave Lord’s profits.

Under the guidance of the cultivator, Luo Chen learned more about Mount Moyun.

Approximately eight hundred rogue cultivators depended on the Moyun Cave Lord for sustenance.

Internally, they handled ores and assisted in tool casting.

Externally, they operated a shop within Longyuan Immortal City, undertaking tool casting commissions from rogue cultivators.

Additionally, they received periodic bulk orders from the Demon Hunter Bureau.

Over the years, these eight hundred cultivators were virtually loyal subjects of the Moyun Cave Lord’s dominion. Among them, several Late Stage Foundation Establishment Great Cultivators had received the Cave Lord’s direct guidance, mastering complete tool casting techniques.

Calling them personal disciples wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

”If I were still in the Eastern Wasteland, the Luo Tian Sect would likely mirror such a scene!”

”No, it should be even better!”

”Being a sect with systematic management offers stronger cohesion. Moreover, Luo Tian Sect has talents besides me. I wonder if Wang Yuan successfully broke through to the Furnace Realm and if Chu Kui advanced to the Golden Core Period. Considering the time elapsed and the abundance of Jade Dew Pills I left behind, Hui Niang and Caiyi should have long since reached Late Stage Foundation Establishment. Did they falter at Core Formation? I suppose not—I gave them ’Dust Origin Technique’ and Nether Origin Pills...”

Witnessing the congregation of rogue cultivators at Mount Moyun stirred Luo Chen’s emotions and memories.

Soon, however, he suppressed the sentiments.

For standing before the entrance of Moyun Cave were two figures smiling at him.

”Friend, we’ve waited for you a long time!” Ding Yi called out boldly.

Even the Moyun Cave Lord—who’d had minor disputes with him previously—extended a cordial salute.

Luo Chen swept his sleeve gracefully, returning the salute with a cheerful expression.

And so, the three conversed merrily as they entered the depths of Moyun Cave.

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