An Alchemist's Path to Eternity-Chapter 174: Sudden Change

Wang Yuan was the only friend Luo Chen could truly rely on. Even when he refined the Blood-Burning pill, which leaned toward the paths of the devil, the first person he sought out to find a test subject was Wang Yuan.

If one were to break down their relationship, it all traced back to a single fasting pill and a storage pouch.

When Wang Yuan was struggling, Luo Chen had gifted him a fasting pill. And when Luo Chen had been seriously injured, carrying a fortune in spoils, Wang Yuan hadn’t tried to seize them by force. Instead, he had even gifted Luo Chen a second Soul-Breaking Nail—a gesture of rare generosity.

Between the two, the weight of their gestures was clear at a glance. However, true friendship could never be measured by the worth of such things. Luo Chen had already planned to flee, but he still owed Wang Yuan an explanation. Even if it was just a simple, Goodbye.

***

After another long day of alchemy, Luo Chen sat on the cliffside, flipping through The Treatise on Green Origin Pills while sipping his tea.

He had made up his mind. Tonight, he would quietly make his way to Water-Dragon Hall to bid farewell to Wang Yuan. After that, he would use the next half-month to finish refining the Jade Essence pills, ensuring he had enough spirit stones for his departure.

Doing so would ensure he didn't attract any unwanted attention. By the time he left, he could do so with greater ease.

The only regret is that my cultivation is still far from reaching the ninth stage of Qi-Refining. If I had already advanced, I’d have more confidence in protecting myself.

The progress bar for his cultivation realm had only just reached 50/100. He would need at least a few more months to fully refine his spirit energy and break through to the ninth stage of Qi-Refining.

Unfortunately, Luo Chen didn’t have that much time to wait. He had no idea how long it would take Mi Shuhua to fully recover from his injuries. The coming days were his best window for escape. If he waited until Mi Shuhua recovered, the old man’s determination to drag him back would only grow stronger. The longer he waited, the more unpredictable things would become!

Luo Chen sighed and quietly watched as the alchemists of the Alchemy Hall left one by one. Suddenly, Zhou Yuanli, who had been keeping to the shadows, stepped inside and said, "Hall Leader, something’s not right!"

Luo Chen’s heart skipped a beat. He had been careful enough, there was no reason anyone should have seen through his plan! However, Zhou Yuanli’s next words eased his tension slightly.

"It’s outside. Something isn’t right out there!"

The brief relief that had flickered in Luo Chen’s mind was crushed in an instant. Luo Chen frowned at him and asked,"What’s wrong?"

"The two brothers stationed outside for patrol haven't reported back," replied Zhou Yuanli.

"Hmm?" Luo Chen’s frown deepened.

Mi Shuhua had assigned Luo Chen five bodyguards. On the surface, his protection still consisted of Zhou Yuanli and Liu Qiang, two experts at the eighth stage of Qi-Refining, who together could match someone at the ninth stage.

But secretly, there were three more bodyguards, each responsible for scouting ahead and covering the rear.

Normally, two of these guards would always be patrolling outside to ensure Luo Chen’s safety whenever he traveled and Zhou Yuanli would regularly communicate with them. Now, there was suddenly no response. What did this mean?

"This is bad!" Luo Chen's heart sank as he shouted, "Quick, go call Hall Leader Murong and Steward Gu back!"

Just moments ago, the two women had left together right under his nose. Not even two minutes had passed.

For two experts at the eighth stage of Qi-Refining to disappear without a sound could only mean that something outside was powerful enough to threaten even someone at the ninth stage!

Zhou Yuanli froze, his expression shifting between uncertainty and resolve.

Without another word, he turned and walked outside, letting out a sharp whistle. Immediately, over twenty mid-to-late Qi-Refining cultivators, who normally stood guard around Crescent Moon Valley, emerged from the shadows. One among them was even on the ninth stage of Qi-Refining.

Luo Chen recognized her, she was Yuan Yuejiao, the sole steward of the Medicine Hall.

She was quite old, nearly a hundred years old, and was usually responsible for managing the medicine fields, cultivating spirit plants, and overseeing the latest production of beast-hide garments.

Yuan Dongsheng, the spirit botanist Luo Chen was familiar with, was her eldest son. Most nights, it was either her or Sikong Shoujia who took turns to watch over Crescent Moon Valley. Everyone respected her and called her Granny Yuan.

"Activate the formation!" Zhou Yuanli’s commanding voice echoed through the valley.

"Zhou Yuanli, what are you doing?" Luo Chen narrowed his eyes and fixed him with a sharp stare.

"Hall Leader, your safety is the top priority!" Zhou Yuanli replied calmly, neither servile nor overbearing. As he spoke, he gestured for Dongfang Liang to come closer. "Go outside and investigate the situation. If you come across Hall Leader Murong or Steward Gu, bring them back immediately."

Dongfang Liang looked a little nervous but nodded and cautiously flew out.

Turning back to face Luo Chen and Yuan Yuejiao, Zhou Yuanli spoke solemnly, "Those two brothers weren't the best fighters, but their concealment skills were top-notch. If they've gone silent, it's highly likely that whoever is out there is coming for you, Hall Leader.

"Above all else, we must be cautious!"

Luo Chen cast a deep look at him before shifting his gaze toward Crescent Moon Valley. A yellowish-brown light curtain slowly spread outward, gradually forming an inverted bowl that covered the entire valley.

The large-scale first-tier formation, the Earth Guardian Array, was constructed using the natural terrain and ley lines as its foundation. It was a favored protective array for small cultivation clans.

When the Alchemy Hall was first established in Crescent Moon Valley, Poshan Gang had set up this formation to protect the two major branches here. Luo Chen knew this very well.

Ordinarily, the Earth Guardian Array was rarely activated due to its massive consumption of spirit stones. Just triggering it once required no fewer than a hundred spirit stones. And to keep it running, they would need to feed in another hundred every time an incense stick burned through.

But this time, Zhou Yuanli had activated it without hesitation. This alone was enough to show just how important Luo Chen had become!

As the formation activated, the sunset-drenched scenery outside darkened even further, casting an eerie yellow hue over everything.

Luo Chen's eyes scanned the surroundings relentlessly.

Suddenly, he raised his hand.

Zhou Yuanli was momentarily stunned before realizing something. He quickly flew to the edge of the formation.

Soon, figures began to emerge before him. They weren’t enemies, they were familiar faces!

He let out a sigh of relief, but the moment his eyes caught the blood staining several of them, his expression darkened. And when he saw Murong Qinglian supporting Gu Caiyi, her robes soaked in crimson, a cold shiver crept down his spine.

"Hall Leader Murong, what exactly happened outside," asked Zhou Yuanli.

"Enemies. A lot of them!" Murong Qinglian’s face was filled with urgency, her elegant palace dress equally stained with blood. It was unclear whether it was her own blood or that of the unconscious Gu Caiyi beside her.

"What kind of enemy could have injured both you and Steward Gu?"

Murong Qinglian turned back to glance behind her but saw no trace of their pursuers.

She could only smile bitterly. "I don't know the full details, but there were at least four cultivators at the ninth stage of Qi-Refining. As for those at mid-to-late stages, there were far too many to count.

"Elder Sikong left the valley before us, but when we saw him, he was being hunted down by a ninth stage Qi-Refining cultivator wielding iron claws. He was in a desperate state.

"It was thanks to his warning that Caiyi and I managed to evade the ambush set for us."

Zhou Yuanli’s eyes widened. Enemies of this caliber—how could they have appeared out of nowhere? And if they truly possessed such overwhelming strength, why would they allow Murong Qinglian and the others to escape? Especially considering that outside the formation, the alchemists and herbalists were merely at the early or mid-stages of Qi-Refining. They shouldn’t have stood a chance.

"Let us in, quickly!"

"Those people are terrifying! They kill without hesitation, Chen Yuan died right in front of us, and not even his bones remain!"

"Senior Zhou, please open the formation! I'm injured and it hurts so much!"

"Open the formation now!"

Cries for help filled the air, soon escalating into angry shouts and resentment. Zhou Yuanli’s expression flickered with uncertainty, unable to decide.

A soft voice broke the tense silence. "Let them in."

Zhou Yuanli turned his head immediately. "Hall Leader! You mustn't! There could be spies among them!"

Luo Chen’s expression was grave. "It's fine. I'll take full responsibility."

With a wave of his sleeve, he strode to the front of the formation.

Looking at the familiar faces outside, he spoke in a firm voice, "Before entering the formation, show your Poshan Gang identity token.

"Once inside, do not move without permission, comply with questioning, and do not resist in any way. Anyone who disobeys will face death without mercy!"

The commotion outside slowly died down, replaced by voices ringing out in unison. One after another, people began shouting praises, their words filled with gratitude.

"Thank you, Hall Leader!"

"Long live the Hall Leader!"

Luo Chen remained unmoved, his sharp gaze fixed on the cultivators outside.

Zhou Yuanli sighed inwardly, Luo Chen was too inexperienced, too merciful. Letting so many people in at once, if there were spies among them, the consequences would be unimaginable.

However, here in this place, Luo Chen held the highest authority and Zhou Yuanli had no choice but to comply.

With so many eyes watching, refusing wouldn’t just offend Luo Chen, it would also risk stirring the fury of the crowd.

Among the cultivators outside, many had family or close connections with those inside. Take Yuan Dongsheng, the spirit botanist, he was standing outside the formation, chatting with Elder Yuan from the Medicine Hall.

Haih... Forget it! I’ll just have to stay extra vigilant later.

Zhou Yuanli had no choice but to signal for the formation to be opened, creating a gap just wide enough for one person to enter at a time.

The first to enter were, of course, Murong Qinglian and Gu Caiyi.

Luo Chen glanced at them and gave a slight nod.

"Elder Yuan Yuejiao, please tend to their injuries."

"I don't need treatment. I reacted in time and avoided injury." Murong Qinglian sighed and handed the unconscious Gu Caiyi over to the elderly female cultivator.

Then, she moved to stand beside Luo Chen.

Next, the low-tier cultivators from the Medicine Hall and Alchemy Hall entered one by one.

Under Zhou Yuanli’s orders, each one displayed their Poshan Gang identity token and submitted to questioning.

Suddenly, Luo Chen frowned as he looked at a cultivator who had just passed the questioning. "Seize him and interrogate him thoroughly!"

The man froze for a moment, then his expression changed drastically as he attempted to flee. The others reacted too slowly, but Luo Chen had already taken action.

With a flick of his finger—Pfft!

The man fell to his knees, blood gushing from two small holes in his kneecaps.

Murong Qinglian was startled. "That's Zheng Baotai from the Medicine Hall! He shouldn't be—"

"He's not Zheng Baotai!" Luo Chen reached out and struck him with a surge of spirit energy. Black mist immediately surged from the man’s face, revealing an entirely unfamiliar visage.

Disguise! Facial alteration!

Zhou Yuanli was momentarily stunned, but his hands moved without hesitation, he immediately restrained the man.

"He's not the only one, this one too." Luo Chen turned his gaze toward a cultivator lurking at the back of the group and flicked his finger again.

The man seemed to have expected this and he instantly summoned an enchanted artifact to defend himself.

Bang!

He blocked it! Just as he felt a surge of relief, two stone beads shot toward him from either side, striking his knees directly.

Pfft! Pfft!—He fell to his knees!

"Seize them all! Interrogate them thoroughly and find out which faction they're from. Furthermore, place restrictions on all the incoming cultivators including Yuan Dongsheng." Luo Chen gave the orders calmly, his gaze settling on Yuan Yuejiao in the distance.

The elderly woman pressed her lips together before giving him a slight nod.

Zhou Yuanli took a deep breath and immediately carried out the orders. However, he couldn't help but wonder, How exactly was Luo Chen distinguishing friend from foe? More importantly, Luo Chen didn’t seem nearly as inexperienced as I first believed. Everything was unfolding with precise order, not a single step out of place.

Luo Chen had no intention of explaining. With his enhanced Spirit Eyes, these crude disguises woven from spirit energy were far too easy to see through.

However, he couldn’t rule out the possibility that some Medicine Hall and Alchemy Hall cultivators had been bribed by the enemy. That was precisely why he had ordered restrictions to be placed even after the questioning was complete.

After dealing with the two infiltrators, Luo Chen turned his gaze to the remaining dozens outside the formation.

As his sharp gaze swept over them, the crowd outside the barrier grew restless. In an instant, seven individuals suddenly broke away, attempting to flee in different directions. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

Luo Chen sneered. A few mid-stage Qi-Refining cultivators thought they could just come and go as they pleased?

The Earth Guardian Array was designed to block external threats, not internal ones.

Without hesitation, he flicked his fingers rapidly!

In the blink of an eye, dozens of discarded jade marrow pearls shot through the air.

Although his Heavenly Maiden Scatters Flowers had only reached the Proficient level, his mastery of the primordial pearls as a hidden weapon had already reached Perfection level, bordering on the pinnacle of skill.

Under the precise control of his eighth stage Qi-Refining spirit power, each of these jade marrow pearls carried an impact no weaker than a full strike from a low-grade enchanted artifact.

In the span of a single breath, the sound of flesh being pierced rang out in rapid succession.

In midair, vivid blossoms of blood bloomed.

The only one who managed to defend himself with a mid-grade enchanted robe was overwhelmed by a relentless barrage of twenty jade marrow pearls, his body reduced to a mist of flesh and bone.

Faced with this ruthless slaughter, the cultivators from both halls fell silent, their faces pale with fear. The ever-easygoing and amiable Hall Master of the Alchemy Hall turned out to wield such thunderous methods. Slaughtering mid-stage Qi-Refining cultivators was as effortless for him as butchering livestock.

Yet, as the remaining survivors entered the formation, cheers erupted once more.

"Hall Master is mighty!"

"Hall Master is incredibly powerful!"

"No wonder he’s one of the Nine Hall Masters. Who would have thought that beneath his seemingly unremarkable demeanor lay such terrifying strength!"

In times of crisis, strength was the only thing people could truly rely on.

Luo Chen smiled slightly, reassured the crowd, and then ordered the two captured infiltrators to be taken into the Alchemy Hall for interrogation.

***

"Has he confessed," asked Luo Chen.

"Not yet." Dongfang Liang scratched his head. "The Soul-Piercing Needle I learned from Elder Sikong... I'm still not very proficient with it. If he were here, things would be much easier."

"Forget it, I'll do it myself!" Luo Chen stood up and took a silver needle from Dongfang Liang's hand.

He didn’t know the Soul-Piercing Needle, but he did know the Divine Breaker of Malevolence! This technique, meant to temper one's willpower, required stimulating thirty-six acupuncture points, inducing excruciating pain.

Even Luo Chen had spent months merely scratching the surface of its fundamentals. He had yet to witness the technique’s full potential. But now, using it to interrogate a low-tier cultivator was more than fitting.

He stepped toward the first captive. The man’s face was pale, but his eyes still held a glint of disdain.

Luo Chen shook his head. He didn’t bother trying to shake the man's will with words.

Instead, he drove the needle straight in! He didn’t bother with gradual pain induction but targeted the Quchi Point directly!

Ah ! ! !

With just one needle, the cultivator’s pupils dilated, and he let out a gut-wrenching scream.

Dongfang Liang, standing nearby, shuddered. Was such a dramatic reaction really necessary for just a single acupuncture point?

Of course, he had no idea that Luo Chen's technique involved more than just acupuncture. Secretly, Luo Chen had infused a strand of spirit power through the needle.

With this internal and external assault, a mere Qi-Refining cultivator, who was still bound by human limitations could hardly withstand such sudden agony.

Whoosh! Luo Chen withdrew the needle and quietly observed his captive.

After two breaths, he shook his head. "Looks like you still don’t want to talk."

Stab! Under the captive’s horrified gaze, Luo Chen plunged another needle in.

Ah! ! !

He removed the needle and stared at the man in silence.

Then, he shook his head again. "Quite the iron-willed man. What a pity."

Under the captive's increasingly fearful gaze, Luo Chen reached for two more needles. His hands moved like lightning, driving both needles in simultaneously.

"Huh? Why isn’t he screaming?"

Luo Chen then noticed the man had collapsed onto the ground, his body limp, and a faint stench of urine had begun to spread.

"Even now, you still refuse to talk? I’m genuinely curious—what kind of life forged such an unbreakable will in you?" Luo Chen sighed, reaching for a third silver needle.

Just as he raised the needle, the cultivator on the ground, his eyes vacant, mumbled weakly.

"Just ask... just ask me already..."