Immortality begin with Alchemy Grandmaster Chapter 2765 - 1022: Should I Call You Huang Independent Cultivator or Alchemy Sect? (2)

From a span of three months per strand, the time has now been reduced to one and a half months, approximately forty-five days for each strand! Therefore, Luo Chen perceived a glimmer of hope for achieving perfection in this Sword Scripture within his lifetime. “Following this progression, will perfection be reached in twenty days per strand? And at the grandmaster level, could it be refined in ten days per strand?” “If that proves to be the case, I might not even require a century to cultivate this Sword Dao Divine Power!” “The sole limiting factor, however, remains the quantity of Nine Heavens Qi.” Luo Chen’s gaze settled upon the storage ring. Previously, Deng Taiyue, leveraging his Nascent Soul Formation Pill as a lure, had orchestrated a high-tier auction, amassing a substantial amount of Nine Heavens Qi for him. A grand total of two hundred strands! On average, one Nascent Soul Formation Pill was exchanged for twenty strands of Nine Heavens Qi that met Luo Chen’s specific requirements. This exchange rate was somewhat elevated. Acquiring Nine Heavens Qi is not inherently difficult, but it is exceedingly time-consuming. It necessitates a Nascent Soul True Master to diligently extend their divine consciousness throughout the Nine Heavens daily, searching for and capturing it, a process that is both arduous and labor-intensive. Typically, Nascent Soul True Masters would refrain from undertaking such tedious and unrewarding endeavors, often collecting it incidentally while seeking suitable materials within the Nine Heavens. The significant yield in this instance was largely attributable to the Nascent Soul True Masters from the Eastern Wasteland extending courtesy to Luo Chen. They were showing respect to the Alchemy Sect! Throughout the two hundred years of the Human-Demon war, the Eastern Wasteland experienced immense casualties, and the Nascent Soul Formation Pill emerged as the premier resource for rapidly bolstering the high-end combat strength of various sects. As Luo Chen could refine Nascent Soul Formation Pills and was willing to trade them, even at premium prices, everyone was eager to engage in this mutually beneficial transaction. Their objective was to foster good relations with Luo Chen of the Alchemy Sect. “Two hundred strands are insufficient to attain the grandmaster level, but they are ample to elevate proficiency to the perfection stage.” “Upon exhausting this supply, I will need to personally undertake the collection of Nine Heavens Qi.” Regarding future endeavors, Luo Chen understood they would present challenges, yet his optimism remained undimmed. He had initiated preparations for this very contingency at an early juncture. The mystical artifact he had borrowed from the Jiuling Sect was specifically intended for this purpose! Naturally! Prior to that, however, he must first address the most critical of matters. The flying shuttle continued its journey, veering away from the direction of the East Yuan Continent and heading towards the Tian Nan Continent. ... One year later. Luo Chen emerged from his secluded cultivation. “Master, we have arrived!” Bai Meiling’s voice carried a trace of exhaustion; she had been piloting the Frost Eagle Shuttle for a full year, expending a considerable amount of her Divine Soul Magical Power. Consequently, a journey that would have initially taken three years to traverse the East Sea was shortened to a mere one year. “You have labored diligently, take your rest within the Soul Nurturing Banner!” Luo Chen produced a white banner, placed Bai Meiling inside, then shrunk the banner and secured it within his sleeve. After stowing the Frost Eagle Shuttle, Luo Chen’s feet finally made firm contact with the ground. Glancing around, seagulls wheeled in the sky, and verdant foliage dotted the distant horizon. “Is this the former southeastern region of Zhongzhou, now known as the Tian Nan Continent?” He murmured softly, closing his eyes. His divine soul power, akin to a vast ocean, transformed into divine consciousness, gradually emanating outward from his core. The divine power resembled a sea, yet upon reaching this continent, it flowed as gently as the wind, rendering Luo Chen’s arrival utterly undetectable. Even when a few Nascent Soul True Masters came within proximity, there was no reaction. The disparity between them had long since widened into an unbridgeable gulf. Luo Chen’s divine consciousness expanded swiftly and across an immense expanse. In mere moments, it surpassed the typical Nascent Soul range, extending over ten thousand miles! It is widely known that the Great Elder of the East Sun Sect, renowned as being at the Nascent Soul Finalization stage, possesses a divine consciousness range of merely eight thousand miles. Yet, Luo Chen effortlessly spanned more than ten thousand miles. Furthermore, the trajectory of his extending divine consciousness showed no signs of abating, indicating potential for even greater reach. One might ponder the extent of a normal Divine Transformation Great Power’s divine perception? This thought flickered briefly but was swiftly suppressed. Because Luo Chen had located his quarry! “Old friend, so you are here!” Luo Chen offered a slight smile and, with a single stride, reappeared at a distant location. This movement was, once again, a testament to the application of the Sky Explosion Step body technique.

Compared to the cataclysmic void explosions that previously accompanied the deployment of this technique, Luo Chen now executed it with nary a flicker of fireworks, his mastery nearly reaching the sublime state of merging with the void itself.

As for the reason behind such a dramatic improvement, Luo Chen found himself unable to articulate it precisely, but he mused that it might be connected to Qing Shuang, with whom he had forged a profound life-and-death contract.

...

Bailu Marsh.

This locale, once a region within Zhongzhou renowned for its abundant vapor and housing a Third Order Spirit Vein, had been the ancestral home of a family bearing the surname Lu for countless generations.

However, with the calamitous collapse of Zhongzhou thirty years prior, the Lu Family was utterly annihilated.

Bailu Marsh itself endured immense devastation in the wake of Zhongzhou’s downfall, leading to altered river courses and the pervasive spread of miasma.

Yet, destiny works in mysterious ways, for when the Tian Nan Continent became detached, a surge of earth qi flowed into the region, ultimately resulting in the formation of a spirit cave beneath Bailu Marsh. The once-ordinary Third Order Spirit Vein, catalyzed by the emergence of this spirit cave, rapidly ascended to Fourth Order Level.

Subsequently, when the various factions of the Tianyuan Daoist Sect undertook the division of territories, this prized location attracted the covetous gazes of numerous Han Gate families. Surprisingly, fate intervened, and Bailu Marsh fell under the stewardship of a Guest Elder affiliated with the Star Gate.

Despite the simmering discontent among certain noble families and great clans, they were ultimately compelled to concede ownership of this territory due to prevailing unspoken rules that suppressed their overt objections.

Thus, Bailu Marsh became the undisputed domain of the Zhou Family!

However, this status was not immutable; should the Zhou Family fail to produce a Nascent Soul True Master capable of defending the territory within a hundred years, this precious spiritual land would inevitably revert to the possession of other powerful houses.

Within the confines of a modest yet imposing great hall.

Zhou Yunshen, an elder whose years had rendered him nearly decrepit, observed the three kneeling Golden Core cultivators before him, his deeply lined face etched with discernible worry.

"Perhaps I erred in judgment, bringing you here to claim this land, thereby inviting misfortune instead of fortune."

The three cultivators displayed no outward signs of displeasure. A notably stout man among them spoke with resolute conviction: "Ancestor, why harbor such anxieties? So long as Brother Zhou Cang succeeds in breaking through to the Nascent Soul Realm by harnessing the power of the Fourth Order Spirit Vein, he can secure our family's protection for another five hundred years!"

Zhou Cang, the eldest of the trio, bore hair that had turned nearly entirely gray.

Furthermore, his cultivation realm stood at the ninth layer of the Golden Core!

Yet, Zhou Yunshen gently shook his head, sighing, "Little Cang's foundation and accumulation remain insufficient. Especially after he sustained injuries to his foundation thirty years ago while defending the family, the likelihood of him breaking through to the Nascent Soul Stage has become exceedingly slim."

Zhou Cang lowered his head, a soft sigh escaping his lips.

Among the three present, another was a graceful young matron, her eyes shimmering with palpable concern.

"Ancestor, with your esteemed presence, is our Coral Sea Zhou Family not as steadfast and secure as Mount Tai?"

Zhou Yunshen whispered, a tremor in his voice, "Zhen Niang, do you still recall the grand occasion of my eight hundredth birthday celebration?"

Zhou Shuzhen faltered, her recollection of the past momentarily suspended.

The memory of that magnificent and joyous birthday banquet had long since faded into obscurity.

At that time, her own cultivation was merely at the Foundation Establishment stage.

Now, she stood at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, a span of one hundred and seventy years having elapsed!

It was widely understood that a typical Nascent Soul True Master possessed a lifespan extending to approximately one thousand years, with even the most advanced life-extension techniques only pushing this limit to around one thousand one hundred to two hundred years.

This estimation, of course, did not account for any severe injuries sustained.

As for their venerable ancestor, who had guided the family from the treacherous North Sea, bravely escaping the encirclement of formidable demon beasts to reach Zhongzhou, who had subsequently endured the brutal North Sea war, and who had recently engaged in a brief but intense confrontation with three Nascent Soul True Masters – it was an absolute impossibility to claim he had emerged unscathed from such trials.

Zhou Shuzhen, her voice thick with emotion, managed to utter, "Ancestor..."

It was evident that the other two Golden Core cultivators of the Zhou Family were not oblivious to the gravity of the situation, having perceived the critical undertone.

Their ancestor's remaining lifespan was undeniably finite.

Once he passed, how could the profoundly weakened Zhou Family possibly retain its hold over Bailu Marsh, this coveted Fourth Order Spirit Land?

A pervasive atmosphere of somberness began to gradually envelop the hall.

At this precise moment!

Zhou Yunshen's ancient eyes suddenly blazed with an expression of both profound surprise and overwhelming joy.

"You three, depart immediately!"

"Huh?"

The three had yet to fully process the sudden command.

Zhou Yunshen, his voice firm, added, "Cultivate diligently, and do not allow yourselves any slackening."

Though bewildered by the abrupt directive, the trio offered deep, respectful bows before making their exit.

Once they had departed, Zhou Yunshen drew a slow, measured breath, his gaze fixed expectantly towards the doorway.

Within the interplay of shifting light and shadow, a figure both familiar and yet strangely unfamiliar resolved itself in his pupils.

Zhou Yunshen, his expression a complex tapestry of emotions, finally spoke, "Fellow Daoist Luo, should I address you as the independent cultivator Huang, or perhaps as a member of the Alchemy Sect?"