"For this journey, we will first proceed to Lingtian Pass and take the teleportation array to Shangyou City. Traveling to Mingyuan from Shangyou should be the fastest route."
Inside the hall, Castellan Lingtian explained their travel route to Luo Chen.
Luo Chen was well aware of Shangyou Immortal City.
Before Lingtian Pass was built, that place had been regarded as the foremost stronghold of the Eastern Desolation.
It had existed since ancient times, enduring countless major conflicts. Destroyed and rebuilt time and again, as the Mingyuan Sect gradually established a firm footing, Shangyou City became a signature gateway for the sect.
Over the past three millennia, it had remained untouched by the flames of war, growing exceptionally prosperous.
Many of the top sects across the Eastern Desolation maintained liaison offices there, both to conduct trade and business and to gather word from the Soul Formation sacred land at the earliest opportunity.
For the Mingyuan Sect, Shangyou City's significance was scarcely different from that of Taohai City to the Yuan Demon Sect.
It served as a portal to the sect as well as an important post for external communication and exchange.
Under normal circumstances, the Luotian Sect would establish an office in Shangyou City in the future, and thanks to Luo Chen, they would likely receive preferential treatment.
"Are we in such a rush?" Luo Chen asked with a chuckle, before adding, "I was hoping to travel overland and take in the scenery and sights of the other immortal sects of the Eastern Desolation. After fighting constantly for over a century, I've truly missed out on far too much beauty."
"It is a bit hurried, but our sect is starved for talent, and they have long been yearning for your arrival, Grandmaster."
As he spoke, Castellan Lingtian gave a knowing wink.
Luo Chen smiled knowingly and replied modestly, "Mingyuan is an exalted Soul Formation sacred land. Its alchemy talents must be as numerous as carp crossing a river. How could someone like me be so important?"
"Fellow Daoist, you are far too modest."
Castellan Lingtian disagreed with Luo Chen's excessive self-deprecation, yet he did not dispute a certain part of his words.
"On the path of alchemy, the Mingyuan Sect does indeed possess a few figures of true mastery. You would do well to pay some heed to that once you arrive."
"Oh? What do you mean by that?" Luo Chen's interest was piqued.
Castellan Lingtian held nothing back. Aside from Luo Chen's close friends, he had the deepest understanding of Luo Chen's alchemy. Now that Luo Chen was about to arrive at the sacred land, so long as no missteps occurred, a meteoric rise was all but guaranteed.
Forging strong ties with him would serve as an invaluable network of connections, not just for himself, but for the Ye Clan behind him.
Moreover, relations between them were already quite cordial.
Thus, Castellan Lingtian laid out the state of alchemy within the Mingyuan Sect.
"Although Junior Sister Chu Yan departed for the Central Plains due to personal reasons, she still left behind a formidable alchemy foundation for the sect."
"Presently, there are five figures of alchemy grandmaster caliber within our Mingyuan Sect!"
"They are Junior Brother Lu Chun, Junior Sister Chu Yu, Mister Xuan Yan, Chen Mozi, and Xin Yisheng."
The moment he heard those five names, Luo Chen's gaze sharpened.
A few of them sounded quite familiar.
Seeing his reaction, Castellan Lingtian could not help but smile.
"It seems you are well aware of the weight those names carry, Fellow Daoist!"
Luo Chen did not deny it, stating earnestly, "I may not have heard of the others, but I know the illustrious name of Mister Xuan Yan. Rumor has it that before the Medicine Emperor of the Medicine King Sect made his name, he was merely an herb boy serving under Mister Xuan Yan. Merely by dabbling in a portion of Mister Xuan Yan's alchemy, he established his own school of thought and went on to found the Medicine King Sect."
"Indeed," Castellan Lingtian nodded, though a touch of regret tinged his voice. "Alas, he is old—terribly old. Even though he is well-versed in longevity arts and our sect provides him with longevity medicines, his vitality has waned drastically, and he rarely concocts pills in person anymore. He now devotes himself entirely to secluded theoretical research, aiming to author another magnum opus before he passes."
Cultivators were not body refiners; their focus lay on refining qi and nurturing the spirit rather than tempering the flesh.
Consequently, as advanced age approached, the vitality of their physical body inevitably fell into decline.
Even Nascent Soul True Persons could not escape this fate.
In truth, this applied not only to cultivators, but to orthodox body refiners as well.
Only upon attaining the fourth realm of body refining—forging a Flawless Golden Body—could one guarantee that vitality remained robust without waning, enduring for ages until it suddenly drained away in the moments before death.
Even demonic beasts could not bypass this natural law.
Otherwise, why would they seek to take on human form?
A demonic beast's colossal true form constantly leaked vitality; only a relatively compact human form could effectively lock in its essence and qi.
After sighing in lament, Castellan Lingtian returned to the topic at hand.
"The five I mentioned all possess unique achievements in the path of alchemy, by no means inferior to renowned grandmasters in the Eastern Desolation like the Medicine Emperor or Mister Yao."
"Among the five, Junior Brother Lu Chun and Junior Sister Chu Yu both hail from our Mingyuan Sect. Junior Sister Chu Yu, in particular, comes from the very same Chu Clan as Junior Sister Chu Yan."
"The other three are talents recruited from the cultivation world of the Eastern Desolation over the course of centuries."
Luo Chen pointed to himself. "Much like this grandmaster?"
"Precisely!" Castellan Lingtian nodded, casually recounting the origins of the three.
In his early years, Mister Xuan Yan had possessed a sectarian heritage, but after the sect was destroyed, he made no effort to revive it, choosing instead to delve into alchemy on his own.
Along the way, many powerful experts enamored with alchemy had apprenticed themselves to him, tending fires, concocting pills, and gathering medicinal ingredients on his behalf.
The Medicine King Sect's Medicine Emperor was one such example.
Chen Mozi was different; he had been a distinguished talent of the Dongyang Sect. As relations between the two sects were close, frequent visits ensued, and over time he simply stayed in the Mingyuan Sect.
Xin Yisheng hailed from the ancient Plum Blossom Sect and was relatively younger than the previous two. Back in the Core Formation realm, he had displayed extraordinary alchemical genius, rising to fame as an alchemy master.
Enamored with the Alchemy Saint's renown at the time, he had left the Plum Blossom Sect to join the Mingyuan Sect, hoping to refine his craft under her tutelage.
Yet to his dismay, before he could even catch a glimpse of the Alchemy Saint after joining, she departed the Mingyuan Sect for the Central Plains.
After learning all this in detail, Luo Chen could not help but click his tongue in awe.
Such was the foundation of a sacred land!
Alchemy grandmasters were virtually unseen in the outside world, yet the Mingyuan Sect boasted a full five of them.
According to what he knew, even the Tianyuan Dao Sect did not possess that many alchemy grandmasters.
Consequently, Luo Chen had to reassess the true strength of the Mingyuan Sect once more.
With five alchemy grandmasters, could the Mingyuan Sect's true might really be limited to what it displayed on the surface?
Soul Formation mighty figures went without saying; ordinary alchemists offered little assistance to them.
Yet beneath the Soul Formation realm, vast numbers of cultivators could be mass-produced with the aid of wondrous pills concocted by alchemy grandmasters.
As for the lingering perils of pill toxins from consuming pills?
A technique like the Clear Source Wondrous Elixir Method from Azure Pill Valley did not strike Luo Chen as peerlessly profound given his current depth of insight.
So long as one was willing to invest effort, an accomplished alchemy grandmaster could develop something similar.
Naturally, no matter how thoroughly pill toxins were cleansed, excessive reliance on pills to advance one's cultivation would still pose obstacles during breakthrough attempts.
Yet supported by appropriate secret methods, cultivating at blistering speed was certainly feasible.
So, with the backing of five alchemy grandmasters, just how many Nascent Soul True Persons and Core Formation cultivators did the Mingyuan Sect harbor?
Luo Chen did not know, but he was far more concerned with why Castellan Lingtian had brought up these five people of his own accord.
To Luo Chen's anticipation, Castellan Lingtian kept him in suspense no longer.
"After Junior Sister Chu Yan departed, the Alchemy Saint Hall was sealed. Anyone wishing to enter must pass layer upon layer of trials—trials of alchemy!"
"You must understand that back then, Junior Sister was capable of concocting Tier 5 divine pills beyond her realm, earning her the revered title of Alchemy Saint. Whatever she protected behind those trials must be an exceptional alchemy legacy."
"Over the years, aside from Mister Xuan Yan, who managed to stay inside for half a year and gain some insights, every other grandmaster has been utterly helpless!"
"To this day, no one has obtained her complete alchemy legacy."
Luo Chen turned pensive. "Earlier, Ancestor Heize promised that upon joining the Mingyuan Sect, I could take charge of the Alchemy Saint Hall. But now you say the hall is sealed. Does that mean if I cannot obtain the Alchemy Saint's legacy, taking charge of the hall is merely empty talk?"
Castellan Lingtian chuckled breezily. "Just as you suspect. If you cannot even enter, naturally there is no taking charge of it."
Luo Chen sighed helplessly. "In the end, it all comes down to my own ability!"
"You were invited into the Mingyuan Sect precisely because of your formidable alchemy skills; if you wish to vie for standing, you must naturally rely on them as well." Castellan Lingtian did not shy away, frankly conceding the point.
He continued, "The vacant legacy of the Alchemy Saint has weighed heavily on many minds within the sect. Last time, our sect set aside past grievances and sent Junior Brother Chongming to the Central Plains to attend the ceremony, hoping to obtain guidance from Junior Sister Chu Yan, yet she refused to budge. She simply dismissed Junior Brother Chongming with a single Tianji Pill."
"Mister Xuan Yan had been the most promising candidate. But after gleaning some insights within the Alchemy Saint Hall, he deemed himself too advanced in age to make further progress, unable to retrieve the complete legacy. An incomplete legacy, moreover, risked muddying his own alchemical philosophy. As such, he resolved never to attempt entering the Alchemy Saint Hall again, choosing only to draw upon Junior Sister Chu Yan's insights to perfect his own heritage."
"For our Mingyuan Sect, it does not matter who inherits the Alchemy Saint's legacy, so long as they belong to the Mingyuan Sect!"
"Yet for you alchemy grandmasters, it is of utmost importance."
"It is not merely a legacy—it represents your standing within Mingyuan, and the share of resources you are entitled to mobilize."
"Grandmaster, you wouldn't want to play second fiddle after entering Mingyuan, would you?"
Luo Chen smiled.
"We are all alchemy grandmasters, yet I alone bear the title of Alchemy Grandmaster. Do you think this grandmaster would consider himself second to anyone?"
"Well said, 'this grandmaster'!" Castellan Lingtian clapped in admiration, thoroughly appreciative of Luo Chen's confidence.
Even so!
He found it rather odd. Anyone else hearing of the Alchemy Saint's legacy would have been beside themselves with excitement.
Yet from start to finish, Luo Chen had shown no excitement whatsoever, displaying nothing more than mild curiosity.
Was he so self-confident that it verged on arrogance?
Or did he simply fail to comprehend the sheer significance of the Alchemy Saint's legacy?
...
Emerging from the hall, Luo Chen appeared completely unruffled.
Now he understood why the Mingyuan Sect's other alchemy grandmasters had shown such intense concern over when he would head to the sacred land.
So that was what lay behind it!
The legacy of the Alchemy Saint concerned not only advancement in alchemy, but also one's hierarchy and resource allocation within the Mingyuan Sect.
Figures like Lu Chun and Chu Yu had no such worries.
They had originated from the Mingyuan Sect, backed by senior masters or family clans; whether they obtained the Alchemy Saint's legacy or not would hardly alter their current circumstances.
"No matter where one goes in this world, rivalry is inevitable."
"Struggling against heaven, struggling against earth, struggling against fellow men—endless fun indeed."
Chuckling, Luo Chen returned to his quarters, appearing completely unbothered.
In truth, he really did not care much.
For one who possessed the Demon Monarch's legacy, his alchemy fused the arts of demon, Dao, and devil. While seemingly lacking any singular, eccentric style, it actually synthesized the strengths of a hundred schools.
No matter how exquisite the Alchemy Saint's legacy was, how could it ever surpass the legacy of the Demon Monarch?
"Lord Grandmaster!"
"Lord Grandmaster!"
Two maidservants stationed outside the doors bowed respectfully.
Luo Chen nodded. "You may take your leave."
"This servant withdraws."
After the two maidservants departed, Luo Chen pushed open the door and stepped inside.
With a single glance, he saw the young boy leaning against the window sill, peering outside with wide, curious eyes.
Sunlight spilled across the side of his face, bathing it in a warm golden glow.
"Lingxi, what are you looking at?"
The boy pointed toward where water met sky in the distance.
"The sea!"
Luo Chen walked over to the window and said with a smile, "That is not a true sea, just a rather large lake."
Luo Lingxi asked curiously, "But I just heard the maid sister say the place below is called the Pingshan Sea."
Luo Chen's tall frame blocked the direct sunlight as he shook his head gently.
"A true sea stretches endlessly, a vast expanse of deep blue. Ah, but there are seas that aren't blue either—black, red, yellow, they all exist."
Luo Lingxi's eyes lit up with intense wonder.
"Black seas, red seas, yellow seas—do they really exist in this world?"
"They do! In the Luotian Sect's Library Pavilion, the book your father personally penned, Northern Sea Travel Notes, records them. The black one is called the Sunken Sea, the red one is called the Coral Sea, and the yellow one..." Luo Chen trailed off instinctively. That stretch of yellow in his memory stirred a shudder in the very soul at mere recollection; it was best left unmentioned.
He continued, "In that boundless ocean, flood dragons roam, colossal whales whip up towering waves, and shoals of fish swarm alongside shrimp soldiers and crab generals. Beneath the waters lie oceanic trenches and rolling mountain ridges, a world entirely of its own. Its magnificence is far beyond what this newly formed Pingshan Sea below could ever match."
Luo Lingxi's eyes shone with fascination as he murmured, "I want to see it so much!"
Luo Chen ruffled the slender boy's hair. "You will have the chance. As long as this journey goes smoothly, you will have the chance to see that boundless, vibrant ocean with your own eyes."
In Luo Chen's own experience, the Northern Sea had been filled with slaughter and bloodshed, cold and merciless.
Yet it was in that very environment that he had earned a century of freedom and broken through to the Nascent Soul realm, so calling it vibrant was hardly an exaggeration.
When speaking to a child, it was only natural to paint it in a fond light.
"Stop staring. Staring too long will make your eyes ache. Go rest now."
Luo Lingxi obediently hopped down from the chair. Before Luo Chen, he was always well-behaved, lacking the lively wildness he displayed in front of Sima Huiniang.
Standing before Luo Chen, Luo Lingxi widened his eyes, seemingly waiting for something.
Luo Chen smiled, retrieved a jade bottle, and administered two drops of clear liquid into the boy's eyes.
"All right, go rest."
Luo Lingxi rubbed his eyes as fatigue washed over him, then went over to the bed to sleep.
Luo Chen remained standing by the window. Taking out another jade bottle, he placed two drops into his own eyes as well.
Unlike the clear liquid that had been diluted countless times for the boy, however, these were two drops of dazzling golden fluid.
Opening his closed eyes slowly, Luo Chen strained to peer into the void, as if searching for something.
Alas, he saw nothing.
With a soft sigh, Luo Chen stowed away the bottle containing the Jade Sovereign Clear Pupil Liquid.
"One step at a time."
"Piercing the void with the naked eye is not something achieved overnight."
"Yet I believe that so long as I persevere, the day will come when I can see through that woman."
A figure clad in green flashed across his mind.
That had been the greatest setback he had suffered in battle against someone of the same realm since achieving the Nascent Soul.
Even though she had struck after his fierce battle, during his weakest moment, Luo Chen did not think he would have had much chance of victory even at his peak back then.
Yet he was not discouraged.
At their first meeting, he had been captured before he could even register what happened.
At their second meeting, pooling the strength of many and relying on the sharpness of Yuantu, he had drawn a single drop of her blood.
At the third, he had incinerated one of her hands, after which they called a truce.
What about the next time?
Perhaps entering the Mingyuan Sect meant there would never be a next time, yet Luo Chen longed for one.
A fair and open clash!
Luo Chen eagerly looked forward to that day. Gazing out over the mountains and lakes, his eyes gleamed brilliantly, as if leaping across space to capture that spirit dancing within the void.
Chapter 893