Longevity begins with alchemy master

A fiery meteor streaked across the sky.

next moment!
Boom!
On the nameless island, the Taoist priest in black stood quietly, the ground beneath his feet unchanged from before.

Such speed, yet the fact that it stopped without causing any damage to the surroundings, demonstrates the person's ultimate control over both magical power and physical body.

This person was none other than Luo Chen.

In order to capture the Qi of the heavens, he had already left the Western Continent and was not far from the Southern Continent. After receiving a telepathic message from Xiaobai, he used his full power to unleash the Explosive Fire Escape technique and crossed the continent to reach this sea area in just two or three days.

During his journey over the past few days, Luo Chen has gained a completely new understanding of his new escape technique, which combines the Explosive Void Step and Fire Release.

In terms of speed alone, it is probably one of the best in the world.

The only drawback is that it cannot be used continuously and requires several breaths as a buffer, unlike the Azure Frost Void Escape Technique which allows for frequent and seamless escapes into the void.

"That's enough. With the buffer and Moonwalk, it won't reveal too many flaws."

Luo Chen chuckled softly, his gaze sweeping over his surroundings.

According to Xiaobai's telepathic message, the two agreed to meet in this vicinity.

He's already here, but where's Xiaobai?

Luo Chen's gaze sharpened slightly as he turned to look behind him.

A woman in a green dress came into view, her eyes sparkling with surprise.

"It's really you!"

Luo Chen was silent for a moment, but then smiled broadly and clasped his hands in a Daoist salute: "Fellow Daoist Fu, how have you been?"

Upon seeing this polite greeting, Fairy Qinglan's initial surprise turned into a somewhat complicated feeling.

"I am unharmed, but Fellow Daoist Luo, your journey has been quite tumultuous. Since you left Zhongzhou, news about you has been constantly coming in. You are renowned in the Eastern Wilderness for your Dan Sect, fought alongside the enchantress Qing Shuang against the heroes of the Western Desert, and I've even heard that you've been seen in the Southern Frontier. If we consider your past experiences in the Northern Sea and Zhongzhou, you could be described as a name that resounds throughout the five continents, unique in the mountains and seas."

"Haha, it's just a little bit of hardship, nothing too complicated."

Luo Chen smiled, seemingly unconcerned about the life-or-death crises he had faced in the past.

But the more he acted this way, the more complicated Qinglan Fairy's feelings became.

"Didn't he even notice the change in how I addressed him?"

The woman felt a pang of sadness. Her attitude towards him had undergone a gradual change, evident in how she addressed him. From the initial polite "Fellow Daoist Luo," to "Brother Luo," and even "Big Brother Luo" at times, she had tried. But now, even after reverting to the initial polite form of address, he remained completely unmoved and indifferent.

Clearly, even the experience of the two of them going through hardships together in the Mirage Dragon Cave was probably just a trial in his mind.

Since that was the case, Fairy Qinglan stopped dwelling on the past and her expression suddenly became solemn.

"That black dragon that attacked Zhenhai City, wasn't it your slave beast?"

Luo Chen raised an eyebrow, then nodded slightly.

Upon receiving an affirmative answer, Fairy Qinglan bit her red lips. "Forty years ago, what happened at the Valley of Burial Gods, was it you who did it?"

Luo Chen was taken aback. He thought he had done a fairly discreet job of subduing the Kui Niu Ghost God in the Burial God Valley, but he didn't expect Fu Qinglan to be able to recognize him.

But Luo Chen didn't bother to pretend and nodded again frankly.

Faced with his lack of denial and explanation, Fairy Qinglan finally showed anger on her face.

"First you broke the seal on the ghosts and gods, then you ordered the black dragon to attack Zhenhai City. Luo Chen, what exactly do you want to do to my Tianyuan Dao Sect?"

Luo Chen finally spoke.

His once carefree face now revealed the same anger as Fairy Qinglan.

"What could someone like me, with a broken soul, possibly do to your sect?"

This question left Fairy Qinglan completely bewildered.

She was not ignorant; she had learned the details of the Cave Heaven Competition long before she became a disciple of the great master Chun Yuan.

All the guardians who entered the Mirage Dragon Cave Heaven, especially those from other continents, had a wisp of their life essence extracted by the Rotten Chessboard. This was done silently and without leaving a trace, and it wouldn't have much impact on the guardians at the time. However, the missing wisp of life essence would affect a cultivator's breakthrough to the Nascent Soul realm! This was a preventative measure taken by the Tianyuan Dao Sect to prevent the opportunities within the Mirage Dragon Cave Heaven from falling into the wrong hands.

However, the wealthy family was unaware of this, and even concealed the fact that the flow of time in the grotto-heavens was different, which would greatly deplete the lifespan of the protectors.

These two things were enough to fill Luo Chen with rage.

The Azure Fairy opened her mouth, wanting to explain, but Luo Chen's anger came and went quickly, and he even shifted his gaze to the side.

Swish!
As the waves burst open, a faint light flew out, revealing the alluring figure of a woman.

"Master, the Black King seems to be controlled by someone. It doesn't remember you or me at all. I tried to call it with my voice, but it ignored me and just kept running north."

Luo Chen took a deep breath. "He can't escape!"

After saying that, he turned and left, seemingly not wanting to say anything more to Fu Qinglan.

Xiao Bai glanced curiously at Fu Qinglan, then quickly followed behind Luo Chen.

The Azure Fairy behind them was getting a little anxious.

"Luo Chen, listen to me. As long as you're willing to come back to the Tianyuan Dao Sect with me, I will definitely help you retrieve your life soul after sixty years!"

The man in black ahead paused, but did not stop walking.

"Believe me, I am the true successor of the Daoist sect, the Lord of the Houtu Palace, and I have a voice within the sect."

The man in black gave a light snort and continued to move forward through the air.

"You have to tell me, did my grandfather leave any last words before he passed away?"

Fu Chaosheng perished within the Mingyuan Sect. He went there specifically to see Luo Chen, and Luo Chen was probably the only person he saw before his death.

This time, Luo Chen stopped, but did not turn around; only a light, airy voice came from behind him.

"He is very proud of you."

"Is that all?"

There was no response, only a muffled thud, and with a flash of sparks, Luo Chen vanished from his spot. He reappeared dozens of miles away.

Such an astonishing escape technique would have surely caused Fairy Qinglan to gasp in surprise in the past.

However, at this moment, the woman in green just stood blankly on the island, letting the sea breeze blow through her hair, her expression wistful.

……

"Master, that woman has a very close relationship with you!"

Amidst the howling wind, Xiaobai's voice came from beside my ear, sounding somewhat indistinct.

Luo Chen remained calm, but a few ripples stirred within his heart.

My relationship with Fu Qinglan is far more than just close.
Because of her, he came to Zhongzhou, entered the Star Gate, and was appreciated by the Pill Saint, who bestowed upon him the Heavenly Mystery Pill, thus laying the foundation for his later comprehension of the true meaning of decay and prosperity. Even the "Thousand Heavens Myriad Transformations Sword Scripture" that he is currently cultivating was given to him by that woman to compensate for the lifespan he had lost.

But it was precisely because of her that he found himself in the most awkward predicament, unable to take that final step towards the Nascent Soul realm.

The grievances between them are too numerous to recount in a few words.

This should be the last time these friends meet. The next time they meet, it will probably be a life-or-death struggle.

Luo Chen's previous aloofness was intentional, so that he wouldn't hesitate to act rashly later.

"That's it!"

Luo Chen sighed, then roused himself and asked, "Where is the Black King?"

Xiao Bai quickly replied, "It must have been injured by that woman earlier, and it's fleeing for its life towards the North Sea. I left a soul guide on it, and according to our communication, it's not far from us. With your amazing escape technique, Master, you should be able to catch up in half an incense stick's time at most."

At this point, Xiaobai looked puzzled.

“Master, the Black King bears your slave mark, and you should still possess his soul blood. How could you not sense its location?”

Luo Chen's face turned cold. "Didn't you say it was suspected of being controlled? The guy behind it even covered up the slave seal I placed on it, so how could I have sensed it?"

Xiao Bai looked shocked. She knew better than anyone how strong her master's spiritual foundation and expertise in spiritual restrictions were.

Even when the slave seal was placed on the Black King back then, he was only at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm. To cover the slave seal on the Black King, the spiritual foundation required would definitely not be weak.

The guy behind it all is probably a bit scary!

Luo Chen's expression darkened slightly as he, along with Xiao Bai, continuously unleashed the Explosive Fire Release technique.

On the vast ocean, only sparks could be seen, heading north.

Just as Xiaobai predicted, less than half an incense stick's time later, Luo Chen's heart stirred slightly, and he revealed his figure from the void.

His gaze fell upon the sea, where a dark shadow could be vaguely seen fleeing at a leisurely pace.

"Master, the Black King is down there!"

"I know."

"Uh... Master, aren't you going to catch it?"

Luo Chen snorted coldly, "Why bother capturing it now? Now that we've found it, bringing it under my command is a piece of cake. What I'm really curious about is who was able to cover my slave seal, forcibly control the Black King, and even block out our memories."

Xiao Bai's eyes lit up. "Master, what do you mean?"

"Follow him!"

Luo Chen slowed down his speed, following closely behind the Black King, even concealing his own aura.

He squinted at the dark figure in the depths of the sea, pondering some ideas.

He not only wanted to see who controlled the Black King, but also wanted to know where the other party got the audacity to order the Black King and a group of demonic beasts to attack the Southern Continent.

Although the Southern Continent was the weakest continent after the collapse of the Central Continent, it was still a territory of the Dao Sect.

In this era, after two of the five holy lands were destroyed, one was sealed off, and the other was closed off, Tianyuan Dao Sect remains the strongest force in the Mountain and Sea Realm.

Even powerful beings at the Nascent Soul stage dare not provoke it easily because of its profound heritage passed down from ancient times.

Now, not only on the Tiannan Continent, but also on the Libei and Dongyuan Continents, news of monster attacks has been coming one after another. It is clear that someone is deliberately targeting the Tianyuan Dao Sect.

"Heading north... to the North Sea... could it be those two ancient demons of the North Sea from legend?"

Upon thinking of this, Luo Chen's fingers unconsciously began to rub his sleeve.

The million Soul-Slaying Banners are among them!

……

Time passes quickly.

Luo Chen followed the Black King's footsteps, spending three months traversing the Tiannan and Libei continents, working day and night.

Such a great distance made Luo Chen's guesses seem increasingly close to the truth.

If you go any further ahead, you'll reach the cultivation world of the North Sea.

"Master, isn't Black King tired? He's injured, yet he's been traveling for so long without stopping."

"You underestimate it. With its beastly body and immortality, plus the large number of demonic beasts it devoured along the way, its injuries have long since healed."

As the former master of the Black King, Luo Chen knew the fool's background inside and out.

While Fu Qinglan's progress was indeed rapid, reaching the mid-Nascent Soul stage in just a century after their parting, the Black King was no pushover either. Back then, Luo Chen invested countless precious resources in the Black King, laying a foundation for it that far surpassed that of any other demon beast.

The Emperor's Essence, which had awakened his intelligence and solidified his foundation, was never lacking. Various flesh and blood resources were also always readily available. In addition, after devouring the remnant soul of the Stone Dragon and advancing to the fourth-tier wild beast, the Black King's foundation had become extremely solid.

That guy was just too lazy; he always wanted to sleep. Otherwise, how could he have achieved only the mid-stage of the fourth rank?

The Black King should be able to recover from the injuries caused by Fu Qinglan's palm strike in three months.

But it still didn't stop, clearly having chickened out and no longer wanting to fight, only thinking about returning to its current "master".

It seems that his new owner makes him feel very safe!

Just as Luo Chen was pondering this, he heard Xiao Bai's questioning voice beside him.

"Why is there so much fog?"

Luo Chen's heart skipped a beat, and he grabbed Xiao Bai.

"Possess yourself in my body, so you won't be alone."

Then, Luo Chen bit his fingertip and smeared a drop of blood over his eyes.

The next moment, blood vessels spread, and golden light shone brightly in his eyes, revealing his crimson eyes and golden pupils once again.

Looking out over the vast sea, Luo Chen saw that the misty waves revealed subtle patterns.

"What a brilliant formation!"

Upon hearing this, Xiaobai, who was attached to Luo Chen's back, felt a pang of anxiety.

The fact that even a master of formations like myself could praise this place shows how dangerous it is.

"Who in the world could set up such a formation?"

Luo Chen pursed his lips, completely overturning his previous guess, and another guess emerged in his mind.

"Could it be that one?"

He took a step and appeared confidently and calmly in another place shrouded in thick fog.

Without pausing, Luo Chen stepped into the void again and appeared in another place.

In this way, Luo Chen's figure kept flashing.

When a cold, frosty mist appeared, Luo Chen pointed his fingers like a sword and thrust them forward.

puff!
As if a bubble had burst, the world suddenly turned upside down, and the surrounding mist rolled away.

In the blink of an eye, Luo Chen appeared on a patch of ice.

Looking around, it felt somewhat familiar.

In my memory, a scene of earth-shattering battle comes to mind.

"This is...the Ice Extreme Sect?"

The moment this thought crossed his mind, Luo Chen's eyes suddenly turned to the distance.

In the distance, where the ice stretches out, a scholar with a weathered and refined air is leisurely fishing in the icy sea, a fishing rod in hand.

Seemingly sensing Luo Chen's gaze, the weathered scholar turned his head curiously.

"Huh? Someone actually managed to break through my Misty Concealment Formation?"

To his surprise, he met Luo Chen's eyes.

"Young friend, your eyesight is truly amazing!"

Luo Chen took a deep breath and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Junior Luo Chen greets Senior Li!"

"Luo Chen?!"

The weathered scholar murmured the name, his fishing rod trembling slightly.

Instantly.

The ice shattered, and a huge black dragon soared into the air before crashing down onto the ice.

Luo Chen's gaze fell on the black dragon, and he calmly said, "It is indeed I, and this dragon is also my spirit pet!"

Upon hearing this, the weathered scholar's eyes narrowed instantly. (End of Chapter)