Longevity begins with alchemy master

Li Yingzhang's successful conception of the Nascent Soul stage seems to be a signal.

This is both a signal of his accumulated strength finally coming to fruition and a signal of the surge of powerful figures from the Luo Tian Sect.

Three years later, the celestial signs reappeared!

Unexpectedly, the one who formed the Nascent Soul this time was Meng Qin'er, the youngest among them.

Born into the Fenghua Palace, she was an exceptionally talented individual who successfully formed her core at the age of one hundred.

Since becoming Daoist partners with Qu Lingjun, she has followed him to the Luo Tian Sect for cultivation. Of course, she hasn't completely severed ties with the Feng Hua Palace. It can be said that the close relationship between the Luo Tian Sect and the Feng Hua Palace is largely due to this woman playing a significant role in their union.

Even after she arrived at Luo Tian Sect, her training did not stop, and she received all the resources she was provided with according to the standards for a Golden Core cultivator.

Perhaps because she was her disciple Qu Lingjun's Daoist partner, Luo Chen showed her some favoritism and even specially bestowed upon her a genuine artifact with a low refining threshold but excellent quality to help her overcome the Heavenly Tribulation.

The final result lived up to expectations.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the heroic Meng Qin'er successfully survived the tribulation and became the ninth Nascent Soul cultivator of the Luo Tian Sect.

This number is calculated after deducting physical cultivator Wang Yuan, ghost cultivator Xiao Bai, and the Black King Xuan Turtle, and only includes those who have condensed their Nascent Souls on the path of Qi Refining, as well as demon cultivator Tian Xuan.

Nine is the ultimate number!
Even the most prestigious Nascent Soul sects would find it difficult to have more than this number of Nascent Soul cultivators.

Luo Tianzong, on the other hand, hardly lingered at this checkpoint.

Two years later, the celestial omen of the Nascent Soul appeared again.

Qin Yuanjiang has successfully formed his Nascent Soul!

The son of Qin Liangchen, an old friend, left home at a young age to join the Luoyun Sect. During the war between humans and demons, he joined the Luotian Sect because of his mother, Murong Qinglian.

When he was over four hundred years old, he finally became the tenth Nascent Soul True Person of the Luo Tian Sect!
The success of three people in forming their Nascent Souls caused quite a stir in the Dan Sheng Blessed Land, and the news spread, causing a sensation throughout the entire Luo Tian Sect.

Even the sect leader, Luo Lingxi, has already planned to hold a Nascent Soul Ceremony for the three newly promoted Nascent Soul elders.

Such a grand event cannot be enjoyed in seclusion; it must be announced to the world.

This also demonstrates the current strength of the Luo Tian Sect!
However, the good fortune seemed to come to an abrupt end there.

The fourth disciple who attempted to condense his Nascent Soul failed.

He was a Golden Core cultivator from Misty Peak, and one of the most valued disciples of Ling Fengzi. He practiced the unique skills of the Misty Sect.

Before he reached the Nascent Soul stage, he was personally guided by Ling Fengzi.

In the end, it was Lingfengzi who carried the successor's body out of the cave.

"Actually, I had expected this long ago. Back then, the Nascent Soul True Persons of my Misty Sect were all single-lineage disciples, and it was rare to see two True Persons coexisting. The Misty lineage's techniques are naturally strong in terms of life-saving ability, but they are too difficult to break through in terms of realm."

Inside the Danchen Hall, Ling Fengzi looked desolate, and occasionally coughed as he spoke.

That was an injury he sustained when he fought against a Daoist Master in the Tianyuan Dao Sect alongside Luo Chen. The injury affected his Purple Mansion, and medicine could not cure it. He could only slowly heal it with his own magical power.

He looked up at Luo Chen, who remained silent, and sighed softly.

"Perhaps I was too stubborn, so determined to continue the legacy of the Misty Sect. If Guangyao had absorbed more of the cultivation methods of the Luo Tian Sect, perhaps he wouldn't have gone to such extremes."

Luo Tianzong comforted him, saying, "It's just a step away, you don't need to worry about it so much."

Ling Fengzi shook his head. "No, I've already made up my mind. I can't keep working in isolation. I will contribute the legacy of the Misty Sect and incorporate it into the Luo Tian Sect's library and transmission hall. From now on, Misty Peak will just be an ordinary mountain within the Luo Tian Sect."

Upon hearing this, Luo Chen felt a sense of relief.

In this way, the Misty Peak, which had established its own independent faction within the Luo Tian Sect, would be completely integrated into the sect and would no longer maintain its special status.

This will be a great advantage for Luo Lingxi in taking control of the sect in the future.

Just as the two were chatting, Qi Yi hurriedly arrived outside the hall.

"Elder, I have something to ask of you."

"come in!"

A moment later, Qi Yi walked in with a worried look on his face.

Luo Chen stopped talking with Ling Fengzi and looked at Qi Yi with a warm expression, "Why are you in such a hurry? Is there something you need?"

Qi Yi bowed deeply, then said with a hint of worry, "Does the Supreme Elder still remember Sang Jinghe?"

"Him..." Luo Chen thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "Of course I remember him, so what?"

Qi Yi's next words made Luo Chen's smile disappear.

Among this group of Golden Core cultivators attempting to form their Nascent Soul was Sang Jinghe.

He was a descendant of an old friend whom Luo Chen had brought back from the North Sea. His learning came from Sang Jiugong, and he was proficient in the cultivation of spiritual plants.

After arriving at the Luo Tian Sect, he got along very well with all the alchemists.

Qi Yi was his good friend.

This time, however, he resolutely decided to go into seclusion and attempt to break through to the Nascent Soul realm.

Qi Yi paid close attention to his friend's movements and would occasionally visit the place where his friend was in seclusion.

About half a year ago, a slight phenomenon of spiritual energy gathering appeared near Sang Jinghe's cave, but the phenomenon came and went quickly.

Perhaps influenced by Cui Guangyao's failure to form a Nascent Soul at Misty Peak, Qi Yi has recently felt increasingly uneasy, which is why he sought help from Luo Chen.

"In order to enter seclusion, Jinghe set up the most secure formation in his cave."

"I don't know if he's still in the preparation stage or if something unexpected happened, so I'd like to ask someone to go in and investigate."

"That formation is too tight. If anyone else were to rush in, they might disturb him. Therefore, we earnestly request the Supreme Elder to lend a hand."

Before Qi Yi could say anything more, Luo Chen had already stood up.

"You lead the way!"

Qi Yi breathed a sigh of relief and quickly flew out of the hall, heading towards where Sang Jinghe was in seclusion.

Luo Chen and Ling Fengzi caught up with him in an instant.

"Are you worried about that younger generation?"

"After all, he is a descendant of an old friend, and he helped me a lot in the past. His aptitude is not very good. He relied on the Condensation Pill that I refined to form his Core back then. I don't think he has a good chance of breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm."

"If that's the case, then why don't you stop it... Heh, I misspoke."

How to stop it?

For cultivators, breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage is inherently a matter of life and death.

Making that decision means having the heart set on the right path; it's all about either success or death.

It's difficult for outsiders to stop it.

Just like Qi Yi, who felt that his Dao heart was not firm and his foundation was not solid, he simply did not try, so as not to end up with a tragic end of death and Dao dissipation. Others would not persuade him to go into seclusion to break through his realm.

Soon.

Three figures landed in a picturesque medicinal garden with lush vegetation.

This is the Garden of Spiritual Herbs.

Sang Jinghe's place of cultivation is also the main high-level spiritual plant cultivation center of Luo Tian Sect.

Outside the herb garden, a group of low-level disciples had already gathered.

Those were all disciples personally trained by Sang Jinghe over the years, and most of them inherited Sang Jinghe's techniques for cultivating spiritual plants.

At this moment, everyone was filled with worry, yet their faces also held a hint of hope.

"The Supreme Elder has arrived!"

Amid gasps of surprise, the crowd parted to make way.

Luo Chen stepped forward and entered the spirit herb garden under the gaze of everyone.

Within, the fields are crisscrossed with paths, and medicinal herb gardens are scattered throughout.

All sorts of medicinal herbs that Luo Chen was extremely familiar with were planted in individual herb gardens, which were then separated by array formations.

These medicinal herbs are all cultivated very well, with special configurations for suitable formations, the best soil, and even the accompanying vegetation.

It is evident that Sang Jinghe truly put a lot of effort into these matters.

Luo Chen remained silent and continued forward until he finally stopped in front of a thatched hut.

That was Sang Jinghe's "cave dwelling".

He worked in the herb garden daily, cultivated his qi in the herb garden, and ultimately chose to go into seclusion to break through to the next level.

At this moment, the array's spiritual light lingered, enveloping the entire thatched hut, preventing outsiders from disturbing it.

Even the divine sense of a Nascent Soul cultivator cannot penetrate it.

However, the moment Luo Chen arrived, the gloom on his face was already clearly visible.

"Ugh……"

With a soft sigh, Luo Chen cast a few spells and then walked in amidst everyone's anticipation.

A moment later, the array that had enveloped the herb garden suddenly dissipated.

Upon seeing this, everyone was stunned for a moment, but before they could even feel surprised, they realized what was happening.

If Sang Jinghe is still in seclusion, the Supreme Elder will definitely not remove the opponent's formation.

There is only one possibility for this to happen.

"Jinghe, my old friend!" Qi Yi rushed in.

Behind him, there was a chorus of wailing and lamentation.

"Master..."

Inside the thatched hut, after Luo Chen entered, the abundant spiritual energy seemed to find an outlet, gushing out of the hut.

An old man, weathered and worn, sat cross-legged on a prayer mat, his face contorted in terror, as if he had witnessed something horrible. Ling Fengzi took two steps closer and sighed regretfully.

"The spirit merges with the qi, and the qi dissipates with the essence. He collapsed at the last step of the unity of the three treasures, and it seems that he also encountered a rare inner demon tribulation at that time, which made him unable to extricate his spirit and he did not even have time to save his life."

"Condolences..."

With just one glance, Ling Fengzi could roughly determine the circumstances of Sang Jinghe's failure.

Luo Chen stood silently by a table in the room, on which were three jade slips.

With a sweep of his divine sense, he knew its contents.

A document recording his lifelong experience in cultivating spiritual plants, along with various exquisite spiritual plant techniques, was provided for the sect.

One of the jade slips contained a cultivation method for a plant called Agarwood Flower, an extinct fourth-tier spiritual plant used specifically for refining certain elixirs. It was the fourth-tier elixir that Qi Yi had researched most deeply. He had even consulted Luo Chen before, who, like a skilled cook without ingredients, had devised several substitutes, but none were as effective as Agarwood Flower. Clearly, this jade slip was a gift to his friend Qi Yi.

The last jade slip...

Luo Chen held it in his hand and murmured, "You've put your heart into this."

He solemnly placed the jade slip into his storage ring, then turned and left the thatched hut.

As more disciples poured in, the cries behind them grew louder and louder.

The legendary plant master of Luo Tianzong has thus perished.

……

The successive failures and deaths of Cui Guangyao of Misty Peak and Sang Jinghe of Spirit Medicine Garden washed away the immense joy brought by the Nascent Soul formation of Li Yingzhang and the other two.

The members of Luo Tian Sect became increasingly worried about the few remaining members who were still in seclusion trying to break through to the Nascent Soul realm.

Seclusion is not about the longer the better.

They were not independent cultivators; they had all undergone training by sects and received personal guidance from high-level experts such as Luo Chen, Wang Yuan, and Ling Fengzi.

Once you decide to go into seclusion to break through to a higher realm, you will inevitably go all out at once, but then your momentum will wane, and eventually you will be exhausted.

The longer the time frame, the greater the chance of failure!
Among the remaining people were Su Wen, a rising star; Yang Pingdu, a former disciple of the Divine Talisman Sect who joined the Luo Tian Sect with his own skills; and Yang Pingdu, the former leader of the Myriad Manifestations Sect and now an elder of the Luo Tian Sect.

The most attention-grabbing figure is none other than Sima Huiniang, the first sect leader of Luo Tian Sect, the Daoist partner of the Supreme Elder, and the mother of the current sect leader.

Will they succeed?

……

"Huiniang, although you are the second oldest, your composure surpasses that of the eldest, and your strength and talent surpass that of the third. You should help your older and younger brothers more in the future. The three of us siblings should advance and retreat together!"

"From now on, I will be the Supreme Master, and you will be the Sect Master. I am very confident in entrusting the Luo Tian Sect to you."

"Mother, why can't Lingxi cultivate like them?"

……

"Second sister, why should that Netherworld Pill be given to Yang Pingdu? Is it because my foundation is inferior to his? Or because my achievements are less than his? I am your own brother!"

"Old Sect Master, you are so ruthless! You actually used us to support your son!"

"You are ultimately not as good as me. Only I am by my husband's side. Admit it, if you hadn't seized the opportunity back then, there would never have been a place for you by my husband's side. Give up, why torture yourself? Luo Lingxi can already cultivate, and has even become a fourth-generation sect leader. What obsession do you still have? End it. If you leave, I will take care of my husband, and Luo Lingxi's only stain will go with you..."

……

In the silent cave, a gray-white stone mirror hangs high, emitting a hazy spiritual light.

Under that divine light, everything should have been peaceful.

Yet, the mature woman's expression continued to shift.

Her body was restless and agitated, and the surrounding spiritual energy was boiling like water, washing over the woman's body again and again.

In the dim light, a figure stood silently in the corner.

That person had an extremely low presence; even if someone nearby used their divine sense to scan, their eyes to look, or their nose to smell, they would not be able to detect his existence.

Click!

Suddenly, a clear cracking sound came from the silent cave.

The figure that had been standing quietly suddenly moved.

He pointed a finger at the mature woman's brow and let out a low shout, which sounded like a resounding bell.

"wake up!"

boom!
The surrounding spiritual energy receded like a tide.

The terrifying yet gentle magical power surged into the woman's body in an instant, suppressing her restless blood and qi, and completely suppressing her shattered golden core.

"puff……"

The woman coughed up a mouthful of blood and struggled to open her eyes.

In his eyes, he saw a familiar face filled with worry.

She smiled sadly, "My husband, I have let you down."

The woman fainted as soon as she finished speaking.

Luo Chen held the woman's still trembling body, gently using his magic to soothe her terrible condition again and again. However, no matter how he comforted her, the shocking cracks on her golden core in her dantian continued to grow larger.

Luo Chen hesitated for a moment, but in the end he could only sigh softly.

"It's good that you survived, that's good..."

……

one year later.

Above the abyss of darkness.

A figure sped away, and when it reached the middle, it suddenly descended, unfolded a magic boat, carried it, and plunged straight into the abyss.

Before long, the young figure burst into the blessed land of Dan Sheng.

The two early-stage Golden Core cultivators guarding the gate were taken aback when they saw the newcomer, seemingly not expecting him to appear so suddenly.

However, the two still bowed respectfully.

"I've met the sect master!"

"I've met the sect master!"

Luo Lingxi suppressed her urgency, nodded to the two of them, and then flew towards the Danchen Palace.

The two people behind him, seeing this scene, roughly understood why the other party was acting this way.

The old sect leader failed to form his Nascent Soul!

Luo Lingxi moved with incredible speed, without any thought of conserving her magic power, heading straight for the Dan Chen Palace.

Before he even set foot on that crimson mountain peak, he saw two figures nestled together on a corner of the mountain, watching the sunset.

He was determined to just barge in, no longer maintaining the composure and calmness of a sect leader.

But looking at those two figures from behind, he subconsciously stopped in his tracks.

Only her eyes were filled with moisture.

Seemingly sensing something, the woman in the man's arms made a faint, mosquito-like sound.

"Has Lingxi returned?"

The man, whose hair had turned white and whose face was full of wrinkles, turned around.

"come on!"

Luo Lingxi moved with difficulty, taking one step at a time.

"Father, Mother, why did you keep this from me?"

The frail, elderly woman smiled kindly, looked at the young man kneeling beside her, and reached out to pat his head.

"Don't blame your father, it was my idea. You've only recently assumed the position of sect leader, and every day, every moment, every step, every action will affect your authority as sect leader. Even if you come back, what difference will it make?"

"But, but..." Luo Lingxi's lips trembled, and she subconsciously looked up at the towering mountain she had always admired, pleadingly. "Father, is there really no way for you?"

Luo Chen remained silent.

Human strength has its limits; this is the will of Heaven.

Sima Huiniang was already several decades older than him, and she herself was over four hundred years old, let alone the other party.

Especially after suffering a serious injury in his early years, even though he spent a great deal of effort to prolong his life, he eventually reached the limit of the Golden Elixir lifespan.

The failure to form the Golden Core ultimately accelerated all of this.

Even the Youth-Preserving Pill could not prevent the decline of qi and blood and changes in appearance caused by the weakening of magical power.

In fact, in the last year, Luo Chen forcibly maintained his vital signs, which only added to his suffering.

Sima Huiniang smiled and tapped Luo Lingxi on the head.

"Don't always rely on your father; you're all grown up now."

"You'll have to rely on yourself from now on."

"I'm so happy that you've finally made something of yourself. It's just a pity that I won't be able to see you achieve the Nascent Soul stage or even the Deity stage."

"pity……"

The woman's voice gradually weakened until her hand gently fell.

Luo Lingxi knelt down heavily, sobbing uncontrollably.

Luo Chen watched all this silently, only holding the body in his arms even tighter. (End of Chapter)