Longevity begins with alchemy master

Chapter 1148 Immortal Devouring Immortal, Luo Chen Breaks Through
Late at night.

After a busy day of managing the new store opening, Jing Lan returned to the mansion under the escort of her guards.

She was somewhat surprised to hear that the special envoy Wuyou had visited her during the day, but since Luo Chen hadn't sent anyone to inform her, she figured it must be nothing serious.

Upon entering the hall, Jing Lan paused slightly, her gaze falling upon the three large trunks inside.

"What are these?" Jing Lan asked, puzzled.

Butler Zhongbo explained, "The gifts sent by Lord Xiao have not yet been inspected by the master, so they have not been put into storage yet."

Jing Lan frowned. It wasn't right to leave a few boxes in the main hall, and besides, these trivial matters shouldn't bother Luo Chen.

She rubbed her temples, ignoring her fatigue from the day, and began to examine the gifts sent from the city lord's mansion.

The first box was opened, revealing a dazzling array of gold and silver, a sight to behold.

Jing Lan roughly knew what these gifts were.

This was a reward from City Lord Xiao to thank Brother Luo Chen for helping him win the fifth battle, and it was even more generous than previously promised.

The gold and silver jewelry in this box alone would be enough for an ordinary person in the city to live comfortably for a lifetime.

The second box looked somewhat familiar to Jing Lan, as it contained mostly medicinal herbs.

However, in terms of age and condition, it is far better than the ones sold outside by Renjitang, and its medicinal properties would likely be better for martial arts practitioners.

"This is a nice gift; Brother Luo should like it."

Jing Lan smiled, but after opening the third box, her expression froze for a moment.

……

A chilly midnight.

The door to the training room slowly opened, but a wave of heat rushed out first.

Although Luo Chen was covered in sweat, his expression remained calm.

After leaving the cultivation room, Luo Chen went to the bathroom.

There, a large white jade pool stood quietly. Outside the bathroom, servants constantly added firewood to maintain the hot water temperature so that Luo Chen could wash up at any time.

While not as convenient or quick as the cleaning methods of the past, it surpasses them in terms of luxurious enjoyment.

Soaking in the bath, Luo Chen closed his eyes and pondered questions about cultivation.

There were soft footsteps behind me.

Luo Chen didn't get up, but he knew who the visitor was.

"Brother Luo, your clothes."

"Mm." Luo Chen was multitasking, thinking about cultivation while responding to Jing Lan.

Through the hazy mist, Jing Lan could vaguely see the man's broad, mountain-like shoulders. Her face was slightly flushed, but her tone of voice remained normal.

"Lord Xiao Feng sent gifts this afternoon, three boxes in total, containing gold and silver..."

Luo Chen listened casually, not paying much attention.

These mundane things, aside from making his life a little more enjoyable, were of little use to him.

As for those medicinal herbs, they were utterly ordinary in his eyes, even unworthy of his attention.

However, when Jing Lan mentioned the gift in the third box, Luo Chen's eyes opened slightly.

"Mi Xianyan?"

Jing Lan pursed her lips and said, "Yes, a whole box of Mi Xian cigarettes, and all of them are top-grade. Even in Qingshan Town, where I used to live, only a small amount of top-grade cigarettes could be produced in a year. That box would require at least four or five towns the size of Qingshan Town to supply for a whole year!"

Luo Chen's lips curled into a slight smile. "It seems Xiao Feng is quite generous!"

However, Jing Lan said with concern, "Brother Luo, could you please not take that Mi Xian Yan?"

"Oh?"

Luo Chen was somewhat surprised, then seemed to recall the words of Envoy Wuyou before he left during the day, and his expression gradually became serious.

"Xiao Lan, how much do you know about Mi Xianyan?"

Jing Lan looked somewhat nervous and said urgently, "That's no good. Although Qingshan Town's main product is Mi Xian tobacco, ordinary people can't consume it at all. It's said that this tobacco is extremely addictive and can cause mental confusion. Especially the high-grade Mi Xian tobacco, even a little bit will kill an ordinary person! Brother Luo, you absolutely mustn't get your hands on this stuff!"

Addictive?
Confusion?

Is it poisonous?

Luo Chen frowned slightly as he stepped out of the bath.

He grabbed a piece of clothing and draped it over his shoulders before heading towards the hall.

Under the dim yellow light.

A box was opened, revealing boxes filled with a distinctive fragrance.

Luo Chen had already opened a box in his hand, inside which were pale gold tobacco shreds.

Jing Lan, standing beside him, looked extremely nervous, fearing that Luo Chen would take the medicine.

"You may leave now."

"Brother Luo."

"Go down!"

Jing Lan looked worried, but she could only leave reluctantly, her eyes full of concern as she stayed in the courtyard.

After he left, Luo Chen took out a tobacco stalk, lit it by the lamplight, and wisps of sandalwood incense rose into the air.

He was not afraid that the substance was poisonous!
When he cultivated the "Hundred Poisons Body Refining Technique" in his early years, his physical body was immune to all poisons, unless it was a poison stronger than the Zhenling millet.

But the moment Luo Chen inhaled the scent of Mi Xianyan, his forehead twitched slightly.

"How strange!"

Luo Chen opened his mouth and exhaled, instantly expelling all the fragrance of the Mi Xian Yan that he had absorbed.

With a flick of his sleeve, the thick smoke inside the room was instantly swept away by the gale and dissipated into the night sky.

Under the lamplight, Luo Chen stared intently at the box of Mi Xian cigarettes in front of him.

"This thing is not designed for the physical body, but for the soul, especially for those who have cultivated divine consciousness!"

Just a moment ago, his sealed soul actually stirred slightly, as if it were craving this thing.

Mi Xian...

This thing seems to be specially made for cultivators. With Luo Chen's knowledge of medicine, alchemy, and elixirs, he was able to discern the characteristics of this smoke with just a slight reaction.

Confusion and hallucinations, lethargy and weakness, addiction, and even mental confusion...

For cultivators, such a thing is the most potent poison.

If taken long-term, at the very least, one's cultivation will stagnate; at worst, it may even lead to the constant emergence of mental tribulations and demonic obstacles, commonly known as "going into demonic possession."

Luo Chen pursed his lips, his gaze flickering uncertainly.

Xiao Feng's intentions in sending him such poison are sinister!
"He's probably afraid I'll seize his position as city lord, so he's trying to corrupt me!"

Luo Chen chuckled and casually closed the box.

Hearing the noise outside, Jing Lan hurriedly came in again, her eyes constantly scanning Luo Chen. Seeing that he did not show that infatuated or frenzied expression, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Brother Luo, I'll tell the City Lord's Mansion to stop sending Mi Xianyan cigarettes over."

"No!"

Luo Chen waved his hand, interrupting Jing Lan's thoughts, but instead, a slight smile appeared on his lips.

"Have them deliver it, and not only that, but a box every year, and it has to be top-quality goods! This is the reward Xiao Feng promised me!"

"But……"

"This item is of great use to me, so you don't need to worry about it too much. Seal it carefully and don't let anyone else come into contact with it."

Upon hearing the word "sealed," Jing Lan, who had been somewhat worried, finally breathed a sigh of relief, as long as Brother Luo didn't take the substance.

"I'm going into seclusion for a while. Unless something major happens, please don't disturb me."

"Ok."

"Oh, and while you're at it, buy me a few pipes, make it a big show, buy some good ones. If you're going to put on a show for people, you have to go all the way."

……

Time passes.

Half a year has passed in the blink of an eye since the new master of Yixian City was appointed.

After taking office, Xiao Feng first seized power and eliminated dissidents. Then he worked hard to manage internal affairs and launched a heavy crackdown on external threats, sending a group of experts led by Tie Xiong to wipe out bandits in the surrounding area.

In just six months, the once somewhat chaotic Yixian City has once again shown signs of prosperity.

Even though he was very busy on weekdays, Xiao Feng would still make time to keep an eye on the Luo family.

under night.

Xiao Feng stood on the highest building of the city lord's mansion, looking down at the mansion three miles away.

"Has he truly become so engrossed in cultivation that he doesn't care about any power or status, without ever leaving his house for half a year?"

Xiao Feng seemed to be muttering to himself, or perhaps asking the middle-aged man behind him.

In the past six months, most of his retainers, whether original or newly recruited, have been dispatched to other towns, effectively becoming local leaders. The rest have mostly taken up positions within the city or started businesses.

Only Luo Chen, the guest elder, did not make any moves from beginning to end.

He seemed indifferent to everything and unmoved by anything.

Tie Xiong sighed, "Perhaps that's really the case! After all, he was a cultivator before he came to the Great Destruction Realm. Legend has it that cultivators pursue the path to immortality in the long river of time, and have no desire for anything external, including so-called power and beauty."

Xiao Feng frowned deeply. "How can a person truly be without desires? His inaction suggests he has a greater scheme! You must know that the Worry-Free Token is in his hands. With this token, he could easily seize the Lost Immortal City."

Tie Xiong shook his head. "So what if he has ulterior motives? Didn't you say he was very satisfied with that batch of Mi Xian Yan? According to the information we gathered from Wuyou City, this substance is extremely corrosive to cultivators. Many people with unwavering will to pursue the Dao have become neither human nor ghost after years of inhaling it. Given time, Luo Chen, who once amazed Yixian City, will probably become like that too."

Xiao Feng's brows relaxed slightly.

Sending Luo Chen the Mi Xian cigarette was his proudest achievement.

Even if it means less profit, it's enough as long as it reduces Luo Chen's threat.

However, that ultimately relies on the supposed enemy's own downfall. To truly establish a foothold, one must depend on one's own strength.

"Uncle Tie, have you made up for your shortcomings? Have you reached the pinnacle of your cultivation?"

Upon hearing this, Tie Xiong looked regretful.

"Even if you break through to the fourth realm using secret techniques, your golden body will still have flaws, and these flaws cannot be repaired in a year or two."

At this point, Tie Xiong's loving gaze fell on Xiao Feng.

“City Lord, you are quite talented. You have reached the Furnace Realm at a young age. Why not devote all your energy to cultivation? Given time, you may be able to restore the glory of the old city lord.”

Xiao Feng pursed his lips and didn't respond.

He deeply understands the difficulty of martial arts training.

Even those with exceptional talent must undergo rigorous training, and no one is willing to endure the pain involved.

With his sole control of the Immortal City from the Furnace Realm, enjoying wealth, power, and status, he already has more than enough.

If we want to go further, I don't know how much more we will have to give.

Most importantly, what if it really comes to that?

It wasn't even a single "Worry-Free Order" that summoned them, yet they were forced to obediently go to the City of Worry-Free, with no chance of returning.

Thinking of the Worry-Free Order, Xiao Feng became even more agitated.

With the Worry-Free Token in hand, Luo Chen has the backing of a title, making him a potential successor at any time. Furthermore, Luo Chen holds the title of the number one expert in the Lost Immortal City, and his status is now subtly on par with Luo Chen's.

If the other party truly possesses the realm of perfection, it would be better if they went directly to Wuyou City.

However, Luo Chen's cultivation level is only at the Blood River Realm. Based on the normal cultivation speed, it will take at least two or three hundred years before he has a chance to break through to the Flawless Realm.

For Xiao Feng to endure for two or three hundred years, having someone who was on equal footing with him was something he could not accept!
After all, even a Furnace Realm expert can only live for two or three hundred years.

Tie Xiong vaguely sensed Xiao Feng's state of mind, and his original intention to persuade him could only turn into a soft sigh.

At this moment.

The wind suddenly stopped.

Unaware of Xiao Feng's presence, Tie Xiong suddenly looked up, his gaze fixed on the distance.

Under the deep darkness of night, the Luo Mansion, which stood quietly, seemed to come alive.

At that moment, it was as if an ancient behemoth that had been sleeping for a long time had stopped its deep slumber and opened its eyes to the world.

(End of this chapter)