Longevity begins with alchemy master

On the Daqiu Plain, a young man dressed in white, holding a deep blue jade ruler, stood proudly.

At his feet was his opponent in the ring, whose face was filled with terror.

"Is this your true strength?"

In that instant, the opponent's power completely surpassed that of the Golden Core stage, leaving him no time to react and resulting in his defeat in a single move.

Zhou Fuyou didn't look at him, but instead scanned her surroundings with a slight frown, seemingly lost in thought.

In the distance, the Dao Sect experts watching the battle were full of praise.

This young member of the Shi family has always been known as a genius, and he was highly anticipated in this competition, with the potential to be ranked fifth or even third. However, he was so easily defeated by Zhou Fuyou.

The power of that instantaneous outburst had already surpassed that of the Golden Core stage, and was almost comparable to that of a Nascent Soul stage cultivator.

"As expected of Fairy Qinglan's beloved disciple!"

"In my opinion, I'm afraid he hasn't really used his full strength yet."

"That wasn't even at full strength? When I was at this level, I didn't have such formidable magical power."

"I've heard that Zhou Fuyou's signature spell is comparable to the Nascent Soul realm, and he's known for his 'floating Qi Sea and myriad phenomena in awe.' Have any of you seen him use that move?"

"Tsk tsk, someone with a special Dao body is truly monstrous. No wonder this kid is known as another Torch of Time..."

"Be careful!"

As the crowd discussed the matter, a handsome man turned and left, his expression revealing displeasure.

It is none other than Shi Ju, the contemporary head of the Shi family!

His cultivation level wasn't particularly high, only at the sixth level of the Nascent Soul stage.

However, his strength is quite remarkable. It is said that when he was at the fourth level of the Nascent Soul stage, he briefly fought against the Great Demon Emperor in the Eastern Wilderness and was not at a disadvantage. More than a hundred years have passed, and he must be even more powerful now.

After the death of the Shi family's Supreme Elder at Tiandi Peak, he took over the position of family head and became the current head of the powerful Shi family.

The disciple who had just been defeated by Zhou Fuyou was a promising junior, but he never expected him to lose so thoroughly.

He was displeased with the failure of his own family members, but even more furious that he lost to that wretched woman's disciple!
No one commented on Shi Ju's uncouth and displeased departure.

Many people know that Shi Ju was arrogant and domineering from a young age, and difficult to get along with. Especially after the Mirage Dragon Cave Competition, his personality became even more unpredictable, and he would often resort to violence. It is said that he was defeated by a protector in the cave and lost a carefully cultivated clone. Such a huge blow made his personality even more extreme.

An elder from the Dao Sect stepped forward, announced Zhou Fuyou's victory, and informed him that he would rest for three days before participating in the subsequent competitions.

Zhou Fuyou nodded calmly, then walked down from Daqiuping.

Shi Miaoyin and several junior brothers and sisters happily came to greet him, and various congratulatory and praiseful voices were heard.

However, Shi Miaoyin noticed a hint of confusion in Zhou Fuyou's eyes beneath his seemingly calm expression.

"Junior brother, what's wrong?"

Zhou Fuyou shook her head, her gaze still aimlessly searching her surroundings, but she found nothing.

"What exactly was that? Why did it give me such a chilling feeling just now?"

"Is someone paying attention to me?"

"If it were an elder from the sect, they could openly watch my match. If it were a villain, given my master's assessment that my divine sense is comparable to that of a Nascent Soul cultivator, they certainly wouldn't escape my notice. But why did that feeling vanish in an instant?"

Zhou Fuyou was in a state of confusion.

The "strong opponent" I faced on the Daqiuping stage just now wasn't actually that strong.

He could have taken it down with just ordinary spells and the Yin-Slaying Ruler given to him by his ancestor, but a certain feeling of unease made him lose his composure and subconsciously unleash his full power.

The impression it gave was undoubtedly sensational, but no one knew the turmoil in his heart.

Letting out a sigh of frustration, Zhou Fuyou pushed away the crowd surrounding her.

"I'm a little tired and want to go back and rest. Sorry."

Everyone was startled.

Although they were not all disciples of the Azure Fairy, they were all disciples of the four halls of the Tiannan Dao Palace.

There may have been previous contests, but they were all confined to the Tiannan Dao Palace, and the winner had already been determined.

Zhou Fuyou is the best in the south!

Those who came to the Dao Sect's ancestral home, the Rotten Axe Mountain Range, for this competition all represent the Tiannan Dao Palace. The rankings they achieve will ultimately be given back to the Tiannan Dao Palace that taught them through rewards.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Fuyou still acted so aloof.

Senior Sister Shi Miaoyin noticed that Zhou Fuyou was in a bad mood, and after he left, she gave everyone a brief explanation.

"Shi Rui is very strong. Defeating him has greatly weakened Fuyou. He will fight Gu Yu in three days. Let's give him some time to recover!"

The crowd suddenly realized, and then began to discuss Zhou Fuyou's next opponent, Gu Yu.

She was a woman from the Gu family, one of the twelve great families. She was also known as a genius in the Northern Continent and was a favorite to win the Jiazi Grand Competition, even surpassing Shi Rui.

Such an opponent certainly deserves a good rest and recovery, and should be treated with utmost seriousness.

Three days from now, there will surely be an extremely exciting battle!

……

After leaving Daqiuping, Zhou Fuyou did not return to his residence to rest as he had said. Instead, he slowly walked along the scenic path in the Lankeshan Mountains.

He kept examining himself, searching for the source of that palpitation he had just experienced.

But still, nothing was found.

He could only conclude that he was overthinking things, or that a senior member of the sect, with profound cultivation, had unintentionally put too much pressure on him while watching the battle.

As Zhou Fuyou passed a misty mountain, he paused in his tracks.

"Is this the Zuowang Peak, which is as famous as Shishi Mountain? When Master was a disciple of Ancestor Chunyuan, he cultivated here for a long time. If I can break through to the Nascent Soul stage in the future, Master wants me to enter this mountain to cultivate and continue the Chunyuan lineage."

Zhou Fuyou stared at Zuowang Peak for a long time, his expression unreadable, neither satisfied nor dissatisfied.

He started walking again, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, through the Rotten Chess Mountain Range.

As the moon rose to its zenith, he had unknowingly already left the vast Rotten Axe Mountain Range.

The sound of rolling waves filled my ears, and the river flowed eastward beneath my feet.

Suddenly!

Zhou Fuyou's gaze sharpened as she spotted two figures standing side by side in the distance.

As if sensing something, the two figures glanced at him and then left.

What kind of gazes were those?
Her face was as calm as a lake, her eyes as bright as the moon, as if she had no interest in him whatsoever.

The other dish conveyed a sense of scrutiny, curiosity, and even some surprise.

"Is he a senior brother from the Dao Sect?"

Zhou Fuyou frowned, thinking that he should have stepped forward, but for some reason, his feet remained rooted to the spot, and he subconsciously watched the two walk away.

"There are still two matches left, we can't afford any unforeseen complications!"

"My master and the others have high hopes for me. The abbot and the other three hall masters have also joined forces to refine my natal magic weapon. I must win first place this time."

"Go back and get some rest!"

Under the moonlight, the white figure went upstream and returned to the Rotten Axe Mountain Range.

……

"Do you know that young man from earlier?"

"do not know."

"How could you not recognize him? He clearly performed exceptionally well at Daqiuping, and his magical power was unparalleled among those of the same realm. Even I have never seen such an outstanding Golden Core cultivator in my entire life. Didn't you notice him?"

"What do you want to say, Senior?"

"Hehe, I've noticed something interesting about him. He seems to have some inexplicable connection with you."

Luo Chen stopped and looked at Li Canghai without any emotion.

This reaction further confirmed Li Canghai's suspicions about the abnormality he had previously noticed.

He was a Nascent Soul cultivator specializing in array formations, possessing a clearer understanding of the grand scheme of things and the flow of primordial energy than ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators. A large amount of primordial energy swirled around Zhou Fuyou, as if he could absorb it at will, which explained why the young man had already reached the ninth level of the Golden Core realm at such a young age.

Most importantly, while the opponent's spiritual aura might be able to deceive a Nascent Soul cultivator, it could not deceive him.

Especially when Luo Chen was standing right next to him!
The two must be connected!
Considering that Luo Chen dared to target the Tianyuan Dao Sect, his audacity suggests that he must have made some secret preparations.

"That junior was you..."

"Senior Li!" Luo Chen interrupted him. This was the first time Luo Chen had interrupted him since they met.

Faced with this impolite behavior, Li Canghai narrowed his eyes slightly.

Luo Chen seemed oblivious and calmly said, "You and I are just business partners. Just as I haven't questioned your purpose in targeting the Tianyuan Dao Sect, I also hope you won't interfere too much in my affairs."

Li Canghai chuckled and then waved his hand.

"I was just being paranoid."

Luo Chen stopped pursuing the matter and gazed into the distance.

"Let's go, let's go see that divine summoning formation you mentioned!"

The two figures flickered and soared into the sky, summoning clouds and mist to cover themselves, and flew towards the outside of the Eastern Continent.

Leaving the mainland, crossing the vast ocean, it finally came to rest in a cloud.

Their gazes both fell upon an island below.

Tiandi Island!
It's more like a small continent than an island.

The collapsed Tiandi Peak lay there quietly, as if it had always been that way.

However, as everyone knows, Tiandi Peak once connected heaven and earth, and it has only been in this form for a little over a hundred years.

"As you said, senior, there is indeed a hidden array on the island of heaven and earth that continuously absorbs the earth's energy from the seabed. Could that be the Divine Descent Array?"

“Yes, that is the famous ancient formation, the Divine Descent Formation, in the Xuan Realm.” Li Canghai nodded, a hint of longing in his eyes: “Legend has it that the Divine Descent Formation was set up by the people of the Xuan Realm to communicate with the divine thoughts of immortals who ascend to the Immortal Realm. Its mystery is extremely profound. If I hadn’t learned about this formation from the inheritance of the Demon Lord of Refining Heaven, I’m afraid I wouldn’t have recognized it.”

At this point, Li Canghai glanced at Luo Chen with a half-smile.

"Young friend, it seems you've also been to the Sea of ​​Desolation. I wonder if you gained anything in that Land of Fallen Demons?"

Luo Chen frankly said, "I gained something; I obtained the Demon Lord's alchemy inheritance."

Li Canghai thought to himself, "As expected!"
After parting ways with Luo Chen in the Blue Ice Sea of ​​the Ice Palace, he made a point of thoroughly investigating Luo Chen.

They discovered that the other person, like themselves, had also been to the Sea of ​​Despair.

After escaping, they were hunted down by Yue Sanren.

That means the other party definitely didn't leave empty-handed; they must have gained something significant, which is why Yue Sanren relentlessly pursued them.

In his speculation, Luo Chen most likely obtained the Dao of Alchemy inheritance; otherwise, it would be impossible to explain how the other party could possess such profound and unparalleled Dao of Alchemy skills.

However, Li Canghai himself did not covet it.

Inheritance is one thing, but whether one can absorb and digest it, and even advance to the level of a deity, depends on one's own destiny.

He didn't believe that by seizing it, he could achieve anything in alchemy.

Instead of fighting for it, it's better to befriend the other party, so that you can get to know a Daoist alchemist in the future.

Regaining his composure, Li Canghai coughed lightly and pointed downwards, explaining, "The activation conditions for this Divine Descent Array are extremely demanding. The first requirement is a Dao Beacon!"

What is a signpost?

"Literally, it can be understood as road signs, spatial directions, and so on. But from the perspective of us cultivators, you can see it as something that can communicate across realms, such as divine thoughts, bloodlines, or even magical treasures."

"Stargate?"

"The Dao Sect's Spirit Treasure Star Gate is indeed such a thing, and its effect is extremely good. But Lian Cheng is willing to go to great lengths to set up the Divine Descent Array, which shows that he does not have a Star Gate, or he does have one but cannot use it."

"Please continue, senior."

"A landmark is relative; it's not just about the object of a prayer, but also about the corresponding entity on the prayer side. A complete Heaven and Earth Peak can serve as a landmark for positioning. However, the amount of energy required to summon a powerful being from the Xuan Realm to the mortal realm through a divine summoning array is unprecedented. At least, this Heaven and Earth Island alone is not enough!"

Luo Chen looked thoughtful and speculated, "According to what you said, Senior, relying on Heaven and Earth Island is not enough, so Liancheng plans to reunite the Central Continent, attempting to use the power of one continent to support the arrival of the powerful beings from the Upper Realm?"

Li Canghai nodded, his tone full of admiration: "If it's just summoning beings below the Nascent Soul stage across realms, the Heaven and Earth Island itself is enough. But if it requires using the earth energy of the Central Plains, then the beings that descend will be incredibly powerful, and there's a high chance they'll be at the Void Refinement stage!"

The universe is boundless, and space is infinite.

According to the "Secret Records of the Mysterious Realm", the Mysterious Realm and the Mountain and Sea Realm are not adjacent and are extremely far apart.

To travel such a great distance to descend, especially one whose cultivation level is at the Void Refinement stage (which is forbidden in this world), using the power of an entire continent is perhaps considered insufficient.

Luo Chen didn't want to see that scene happen.

"We must stop it! The Tianyuan Dao Sect once used the magical treasure Rotten Chessboard to suppress the spiritual energy of an entire continent. With the collapse of the Central Continent, the Rotten Chessboard was also severely damaged. More than a hundred years is not enough for it to recover, so the Dao Sect chose to reunite the Central Continent with an array. If we destroy those arrays and prevent the Central Continent from reuniting, can we stop the activation of the Divine Descent Array?"

“Indeed, it is possible, but this is only a temporary solution. After all, the formation can be rebuilt at any time, but frequent destruction will inevitably provoke a counterattack from the Tianyuan Dao Sect. Can you withstand that?” Li Canghai asked rhetorically.

Luo Chen shook his head. Not to mention him, even Li Canghai couldn't withstand the counterattack from Tianyuan Dao Sect.

In the entire world, only Qixia Yuanjun can make the Tianyuan Dao Sect wary, and even the City Ancestor dares not set foot in the Eastern Wilderness.

Li Canghai laughed and said, "Therefore, the best way to stop the Divine Descent Array from activating is to find the best opportunity. At the very beginning of its activation, we should destroy the pivotal array that reunites the Central Plains. In this way, not only will the Divine Descent Array be unable to successfully summon the powerful beings from the Upper Realm, but Liancheng himself, who is in charge of this array, will also suffer a backlash. At that time, the two of us can then take action and kill him, and we will no longer have to fear the counterattack of the Tianyuan Dao Sect."

Luo Chen's eyes flashed, and the instant the formation was activated, he suddenly attacked, causing the opponent to fail at the last moment, or even causing a backlash.
This is indeed the best way!

"Let's wait, it should be about a year. In the meantime, I'll also take the opportunity to study this mysterious spirit-summoning formation."

"Didn't you say Liancheng is on Tiandi Island?"

"We'll observe from afar, not get close. With my abilities, I can glean some clues; Liancheng won't be able to detect us."

"Is that so? Then let me take a look too!"

"You?" Li Canghai was taken aback for a moment, then realized what he meant and laughed, "I forgot that your skill in array formations is also quite remarkable."

Luo Chen smiled slightly; he was indeed quite curious about this special formation.

It can summon the divine thoughts of immortals, and it can also summon weaker Nascent Soul cultivators or even True Monarchs of the Void Refining Realm to descend to the mortal realm. If used well, he might be able to maintain contact with his old friends in the Mountain and Sea Realm after he ascends and leaves.

To avoid being discovered by Ancestor Liancheng, the two stayed away from Tiandi Island, but they each had their own methods to spy on the situation on the islands.

Formations emphasize form, but are not bound by conventions. In the eyes of masters of formations, formations are more about the evolution of the great forces of heaven and earth.

Therefore, by observing the changes in this area, we can deduce the principles of the formation.

This is Li Canghai's method.

Luo Chen's method was simpler; he simply used his naked eyes to see.

During this observation, time passed quickly, and a month went by in the blink of an eye.

Suddenly!
"Someone has come to the island."

Luo Chen was awakened by Li Canghai's telepathic message and subconsciously looked towards the shore of Tiandi Island.

A group of forty or fifty people disembarked from the flying boat and stepped onto the land of Tiandi Island.

Most of them were Nascent Soul cultivators, with only ten younger ones being Golden Core cultivators.

Luo Chen's gaze sharpened as he saw Zhou Fuyou.

Just then, Li Canghai also approached.

"That junior is inside too."

Luo Chen remained silent, only curious about what this group of people were doing here.
Li Canghai also looked extremely curious, observing the situation from afar, but his expression soon changed slightly.

"Stand still!"

After saying this, he flicked his wrist, and a stream of light enveloped the two of them.

The next moment, a grand voice resounded from the broken Heaven and Earth Peak on Heaven and Earth Island.

"come yet?"

"Reporting to the Ancestor, everyone has arrived. Please open the gate to the cave!"

"Ah."

After a faint response, two large hands formed from magical power stretched out from within the fractured Heaven and Earth Peak and grabbed at a certain point in the void below the mountain.

Two large hands seemed to be embedded in the spatial barrier, and then slowly prying it outwards.

Rumble!
A deafening roar erupted, the earth trembled, and the nearby seawater surged violently.

With a tearing sound, a large amount of white mist emerged, completely enveloping the entire Tiandi Island.

After doing all this, the two large hands slowly disappeared, and the voice from before rang out again.

"Go inside, Ke Lianshan is waiting for you there."

Clearly, forcibly opening that space seemed to be very strenuous for this person, as even his voice sounded tired.

In the distance, Luo Chen watched this familiar scene with a look of surprise and uncertainty.

"The Mirage Dragon Cave has been opened?" (End of Chapter)