An Alchemist's Path to Eternity

For a brief moment, he wondered whether he had gone too far, but regret could no longer change anything. The tribulation had already begun, and retreat was impossible. At this point, the only choice left was to face it head-on and push forward with everything he had.

ROOOOOOAAARRRR!!!

A thunderclap rolled through the sky like the roar of an ancient beast. From within the clouds, the beast, resembling both a mountain goat and an elk, surged forward on four massive legs. Its body was covered in black scales, and each heavy step sent ripples through the surrounding thunderclouds. Lightning crackled in its wake, and even the air seemed to warp under the weight of its approach.

Luo Chen's expression tightened. The pressure bearing down on him had grown too great for him to maintain his one-handed seal, so he temporarily halted the formation of his Nascent Soul and thrust both fully charged origin energy palms forward as he prepared to meet the beast head-on.

Just before they collided, his expression suddenly shifted.

Huummmm...

A small gray cauldron appeared and spun rapidly as it turned its mouth and charged toward the beast. With no time to change course, the beast plunged straight inside and vanished from sight.

Luo Chen froze at the scene. For a moment, he could not process what had just happened. He had already steeled himself to gamble everything against the final blow of the tribulation. Yet at the very edge of that clash, his life-bound enchanted treasure had awakened on its own and intervened.

Yet his relief lasted only an instant before concern replaced it. The Primordial Unity Cauldron had swallowed the full force of the final strike, and while avoiding a direct clash was a blessing for him personally, it also meant that all the destructive power was now contained within his life-bound treasure. If the cauldron failed to endure it, the backlash would fall on him just as surely.

What happened next, however, far exceeded his expectations. Instead of showing any sign of strain, the cauldron simply hovered calmly in the air. Black lightning flickered around its mouth, but not a single crack appeared upon its surface. A moment later, five-colored radiance streamed from within and reached toward the thunderclouds, as though the cauldron had found the lightning beast insufficient and meant to consume the rest of the tribulation as well.

However, the third tribulation had ended, and the clouds that had shrouded the sky for so long were already dispersing. The five-colored light swept through the empty air but found nothing left to seize, so it withdrew into the cauldron with what almost looked like... reluctance.

Luo Chen was astonished by the sudden reaction of his life-bound treasure, but he had no time to investigate it. The end of the lightning tribulation had brought him to the most critical moment of his breakthrough. He closed his eyes and formed seals with both hands while directing his full attention inward. At that moment, the Golden Core that had accumulated power for so long finally emitted the sound of shattering.

Crack!

The crimson Golden Core, formed from Luo Chen's immense reserves of mana, cracked open like an eggshell. From within, a tiny lump of flesh barely a cun tall emerged and looked around in confusion before instinctively gathering the scattered fragments and placing them into its mouth. As it ate, its vague form slowly became clearer. Soft features took shape on its face, followed by two small arms and legs, while its round little belly remained pale and tender like that of a newborn infant.

As the Nascent Soul took shape, the abundant spirit energy within the abyss surged toward it. It rose from the earth and water in the form of golden lotuses drifting upward and gathering around Luo Chen's enormous body. At the same time, the thunderclouds that had blanketed the sky only moments ago were now clear and bright. In their place, faint strands of ethereal energy gathered and thickened into a gentle rain that fell from above like a blessing from the heavens. Golden lotuses bloomed from the earth, and spirit rain descended upon his head.

This was the reward granted by heaven and earth to those who survived the lightning tribulation. As the energy settled within him, his sea of qi began to undergo its final transformation and reshape itself into a Purple Mansion capable of housing a Nascent Soul.

By then, the tiny infant had grown to three cun in height. Drawn by instinct, it slipped out through the crown of Luo Chen's head and entered the open sky. Yet the outside world felt neither cold nor unfamiliar. Instead, it seemed to return to the warmth of its mother's womb as it merged with heaven and earth. It roamed through the void with the delight of a newborn discovering the world. One moment, it scampered across the golden lotuses blossoming from the ambient spirit energy; the next, it leaped into the stream descending from the heavens and played amid the shimmering spirit rain.

Then, as though drawn by something far more profound, it hung motionless in midair. Through that communion, Luo Chen felt himself drawing close to grasping a certain truth—the Laws of the Great Dao.

Then it was gone. He opened his eyes with a sense of loss. Such moments were exceedingly rare, and he could not help regretting that the insight had slipped away before he could grasp it. Still, he had survived the lightning tribulation, shattered his Golden Core, and successfully formed his Nascent Soul. Compared to that, the missed insight felt like a small loss, and the Dao Fruit he had obtained today was already more than enough.

As he sank deeper into that state, several lines rose unbidden from the depths of his mind: Vital essence nurtures the spirit roots, and qi nourishes the soul. When the primal form takes shape, it takes on my likeness. Upon the mountain within the sea, golden lotuses well up from the earth. The heaven tips its ladle and pours down the gathered dews to shelter the Nascent Soul. Of my own will, I let the spirit go with joy that fills my heart...

Before the final thought could settle, Luo Chen's expression suddenly froze. He snapped toward Rosy Hill, where an azure-robed Daoist stood atop it with his hands clasped before him. Despite the clear blue sky and glowing sunlight, Luo Chen felt a chill spread through his entire being. "Fellow Daoist, you're not exactly hiding your killing intent."

Han Zhan smiled faintly and formed a seal with his clasped hands. "My apologies, Fellow Daoist."

Before the words had fully left his lips, azure light erupted from the crown of his head and shot toward Luo Chen's vacant body.

A fierce gleam flashed in Luo Chen's Nascent Soul's eyes. He immediately attempted Nascent Soul teleportation, but just as he was about to vanish, a tremendous suction force surged from the sea and caught him in its pull.

He whipped around to find Black King hovering rigidly above the water. His jaws hung open, and confusion clouded his eyes. Luo Chen's roar thundered across the sea. "OLD BLAAACK, WAKE UUUUUUPPP!!!!!"

A nine-star formation flared between Black King's brows, and at the same moment, a crimson restriction spread across his massive body. The two powers collided violently, throwing the suction force into disarray—but the struggle had already cost Luo Chen the one instant he could not afford to lose.

By the time Luo Chen broke free of the interference and rushed back into his body, Han Zhan had already entered. Even so, he was not much slower and entered the enormous body barely a heartbeat later.

The moment the restraining force loosened, Black King's confusion gave way to incandescent fury. With a roar that shook the flooded island, he charged toward Rosy Hill. "YOU TREACHEROUS OLD BASTARD!"

As if responding to his furious roar, the hill exploded. The hillside split open, and stone and earth blasted outward as something immense forced its way free. From the collapsing hillside emerged a white tiger more than a hundred zhang tall. A suffocating aura rolled from its body as it bounded across the ruined landscape, each stride it took sending the earth shaking as it charged straight toward Black King.

Heavenjade stared in stunned disbelief. Everything had changed too quickly for her to follow. In the blink of an eye, the entire situation had been overturned, and she had no idea what was going on.

***

Within the spacious Purple Mansion, two figures no more than three cun tall faced each other.

Han Zhan took in the space around them with a hint of astonishment. He had only ever read of such a magnificent Purple Mansion in ancient texts. Even the one he had spent a century consolidating in his original body had been less than half its size. He had revised his judgement of Luo Chen's foundation more than once, yet the reality still surpassed his expectations.

That only made his prize more valuable. Luo Chen had already laid an extraordinary foundation; once Han Zhan took possession of it, he would not have to rebuild from nothing.

He turned toward Luo Chen's newly formed Nascent Soul and smiled. "Looks like you weren't completely unprepared. The restriction you placed on Black King just happened to counter the slave mark I left behind in a hurry. Tsk, to think that a backup plan couldn't even buy me a single moment."

Luo Chen stared coldly at him. "So I was your true target all along. As expected..."

Han Zhan chuckled. "As expected? When did you figure it out?"

"After you spent about a decade without refining Flying Cloud's body," Luo Chen said coldly. "You only controlled it through puppet arts, letting its life force and death energy build up and clash inside. That was when I noticed."

Han Zhan's eyes flickered with understanding. "I see. That makes sense. I always knew those eyes of yours weren't ordinary. Still, I didn't expect you to see the death energy in that body. I hid it quite well."

Luo Chen shook his head. "That's not it. The death energy only confirmed it. I suspected you from the very beginning, and every time you helped me without caring about your own gains or losses, I only became more certain."

"Then why didn't you get rid of me? With your ability, you had more than enough chances." But as soon as he said it, he seemed to understand. "Ah... you wanted my knowledge and my experience. You really are bold to keep me around."

Luo Chen pursed his lips, and a trace of regret crossed his pale Nascent Soul face. "It's not just that either. In the end, suspicions were still only suspicions. Until you truly acted against me, how could I answer kindness with betrayal? Besides, you once swore a Great Dao Oath. Until I formed my Nascent Soul, we were to cooperate in good faith, and neither of us was allowed to betray the other."

Han Zhan spread his tiny hands. "But you've formed your Nascent Soul now."

"And you could not wait any longer?"

"That's right." Han Zhan's smile remained. "This is the best chance I'll ever get. Your Nascent Soul has only just formed, and you're still merging with heaven and earth. You can't return to your body right away. Also, your Purple Mansion has only just taken shape, and it hasn't been fully marked by your Nascent Soul aura yet. In this world, there is nothing else more suitable than a newly advanced Sage for me to possess. If I miss this chance, then everything I've done will be for nothing."

Luo Chen's expression turned grave. "You make it sound as though taking my body will be easy. This is still my Purple Mansion! Here, the advantage belongs to me!"

"Does it?" Han Zhan's smile deepened. "I played no small part in helping you create this body. You can hardly claim it belongs entirely to you."

With nothing more to say, Han Zhan brought two fingers together like a sword and thrust them toward Luo Chen. Luo Chen immediately formed a seal and answered with a palm strike. Sword energy collided with the immense handprint, and the impact sent a violent tremor through the newly formed Purple Mansion.

BOOOOOOMMMM!!!

The unrefined spirit energy within surged chaotically, and Han Zhan broke off his attack. "After all the trouble I went through to get this Purple Mansion, I'd rather not destroy it."

Before Han Zhan had even finished speaking, he formed another seal. Luo Chen's meridians constricted, and his acupoints sealed off after another, cutting off the flow of power through his body. At the same time, chains materialized throughout the Purple Mansion and lashed out toward Luo Chen's Nascent Soul.

Han Zhan's eyes burned with greed. "Once I capture your Nascent Soul and refine it alive, this body won't be the only thing I gain. My mana will surge as well, and my cultivation will rise beyond what it used to be!"

Luo Chen's expression changed. He retreated at once, weaving through the chains as they closed in around him.

Han Zhan continued manipulating the seals without pause. "There's no point in running. From the moment you used my sect's secret art to form your core, you were already tied to me."

Luo Chen's heart sank. "Beaded Curtain Lock?"

Han Zhan laughed. "As sharp as ever. Did you honestly think a secret art of that tier would be handed to outsiders just like that? During the Jade Cauldron Civil War, I deliberately allowed an incomplete version to spread. And I did not do so merely to help a handful of factions rise to power."

Whoosh!

A chain lashed out from the inner wall of the Purple Mansion and struck Luo Chen's Nascent Soul.

"Beaded Curtain Lock is an Upper Path Core Formation secret art. Anyone who uses the incomplete version to form their core will have that core fall under the control of my soul. I don't know how you managed to come by the complete version, but fundamentally, it's all the same."

CLAAAANGG!!

Another chain emerged through an impossible opening and pierced the arm of Luo Chen's Nascent Soul. "Back then, I told my elders to treat you well. When you formed your core, I even opened Tianlan Immortal City's formation so you could absorb its spirit energy. I did all of that so you could actually amount to something. An Adept-level puppet who used the same breakthrough technique I did... Nothing could have been more suitable."

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