Longevity begins with alchemy master

For Luo Chen, mastering the acupoints was not particularly difficult.

This is thanks to the solid foundation he laid during his foundation-building period.

If Xiangfei hadn't worried that his polishing speed was too fast and that it would cause his realm to become unstable, Luo Chen's polishing speed might have exceeded expectations.

even so!

Under the meticulous control of the Blood Refining Divine Qi, this stage is still progressing rapidly at a slow but steady pace.

In one year, he refined thirty-six acupoints, which is equivalent to one every ten days.

The second year was even faster, reaching two every ten days, with a total of seventy-two acupoints of varying sizes being refined.

Such progress drew repeated praise from Xiangfei.

However, for some reason, Luo Chen deliberately slowed down the progress of refining his acupoints starting from the third year.

Quantity of Qi!

In other words, it can also be understood as resources.

A martial artist's inner strength originates from the transformation of qi and blood. However, qi and blood are not generated out of thin air; they are refined little by little by absorbing external resources.

The scarcity of resources in the Great Cataclysm Realm is a well-worn topic.

Even with the full support of the Immortal City and the siphoning of resources from surrounding cities by leveraging Luo Chen's influence, it was still a drop in the ocean compared to the massive amount of blood and energy required for Luo Chen's physical body.

The acupoints that have been polished cannot be left idle.

A portion of pure internal energy needs to be constantly present to achieve free opening and closing, and to ensure that the body is free of leakage.

In particular, Luo Chen's Blood Refining Divine Qi was of extremely high quality, requiring an even greater amount of blood and qi to be converted, which forced Luo Chen to slow down his cultivation speed.

At this point, Luo Chen finally understood why all martial artists in the Great Destruction Realm who cultivated to the Flawless Realm would go to Worry-Free City.

They were not simply forcibly conscripted; some also volunteered to go.

Converting resources through food supplements is far too inefficient.

Even though the chaotic energy containing different properties is extremely dangerous for martial artists, it is at least a highly nourishing substance that can be directly and easily converted into a large amount of qi and blood!
Once Luo Chen understood this, he had no choice but to accept it.

However, he wasn't in a hurry.

The realm of no leakage is not his final destination; the higher realm that allows him to leave the Void is the peak he wants to climb.

Therefore, Luo Chen did not concern himself with immediate matters.

Furthermore, the formation in Red Leaf Valley still needs the refinement of time to take shape.

Then let's repair and wait!

Time flowed by slowly like water in Luo Chen's inefficient cultivation life.

Until another twenty years later.

The city of Yixian celebrated the 70th birthday of its current lord, Jing Lan.

At the birthday banquet, guests were numerous and gifts piled up like mountains.

The birthday celebrant, Jing Lan, sat at the head of the table, her face both kind and dignified, calmly enjoying the congratulations from the distinguished guests.

At seventy years old, she was unmarried and naturally had no children.

He had been in charge of Yixian City for thirty years, and even without any martial arts skills, he had accumulated enough prestige.

This can be seen from the fact that important figures from the seventy-two cities took the initiative to come and offer their congratulations.

Amidst the commotion, a voice rang out, shocking everyone.

"Special Envoy Fang Zhibai has come to congratulate Lord Jingcheng on his birthday!"

This shock was filled with countless emotions.

The fact that Wuyou City sent a special envoy to personally visit Jinglan was a shock to them.

They also fear that Wuyou City will hold Jing Lan accountable!

Ultimately, Jing Lan relied on Luo Chen's power to ascend to the position of city lord despite being a mere mortal.

There are shortcomings, both in terms of legal principles and procedures.

If Wuyou City is to hold those responsible accountable, then those large and small forces that have actively cultivated good relations with Yixian City over the years will likely not fare well either.

Unexpectedly, when Fang Zhibai arrived, he only congratulated Jing Lan on her birthday and didn't mention anything else.

Does this mean that Wuyou City has recognized Jinglan's position as city lord for the first time?

Someone wanted to find out something through the Worry-Free Envoy.

But halfway through the banquet, the young yet imposing special envoy had disappeared.

……

Micro Dust Pavilion!
Luo Chen's solitary residence.

Two people dressed in white sat facing each other, with the aroma of tea wafting between them.

Fang Zhibai looked at Luo Chen with slight surprise, praising him repeatedly.

"Fifty years have passed since we parted. Brother Luo has made rapid progress. From the peak of the Blood River Realm, he is now only one step away from the Flawless Realm."

Luo Chen remained calm, "You are no match for the Special Envoy, who is truly flawless."

Fang Zhibai gave a wry smile. "Brother Luo flatters me. When we first met, I was already close to breaking through to the next realm. My tour of the Great Annihilation Realm was merely a journey to temper my will before breaking through."

Breaking through to the state of no leakage seems to only require accumulating vital energy and refining acupoints, but in reality, it also involves the mental demons and confusions that are similar to those experienced by Golden Core cultivators when breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage.

However, Luo Chen had never considered this point.

He had experienced countless such situations during his five-hundred-year cultivation career in the Mountain and Sea Realm.

Therefore, there's absolutely no need to consider it.

Luo Chen poured a cup of tea and pushed it in front of Fang Zhibai.

"Tea please!"

Fang Zhibai raised his cup and took a sip, but his eyes still couldn't help but scrutinize Luo Chen.

As he put down his teacup, he exclaimed, "After leaving the City of Lost Immortals, I went into seclusion to break through to the next level. Fortunately, I was lucky enough to receive guidance from the Ancestor and successfully broke through to the Flawless Realm. At that time, I was quite proud of myself. But after I came out of seclusion, I heard about Brother Luo's feat of fighting six people at once and killing five experts at the Flawless Realm. My pride vanished as a result."

Luo Chen asked, "Did the special envoy come to Yixian City today to seek an explanation for the battle that day?"

"An explanation?" Fang Zhibai scoffed. "They're just a bunch of losers. It's an honor for them to die at Brother Luo's hands. Do they even deserve my asking for an explanation?"

"Oh?"

Luo Chen looked Fang Zhibai over and was unusually intrigued.

"I wonder what brings Brother Fang here today? Surely it's not really to celebrate Jing Lan's birthday!"

Fang Zhibai was slightly pleased when Luo Chen changed his address from "Special Envoy" to "Brother Fang".

But when it comes to serious matters, he has to become serious.

"I have come here today for three matters."

"please!"

Fang Zhibai tapped the table and slowly said, "First, I ask Brother Luo to be lenient and stop using force to oppress other major cities and to seize massive resources through unequal business dealings."

Luo Chen didn't seem surprised by this. From the moment Jing Lan unrestrainedly used his influence to launch a series of unequal cooperation agreements and pressure many major cities to seize resources, he knew that Wuyou City wouldn't sit idly by.

The only unexpected thing was that Wuyou City endured for a full thirty years before sending someone to mediate.

He simply asked, "Why?"

Fang Zhibai sighed, "Every major city has limited resources. It's already a stretch to be able to support two or three experts at the Unfailing Realm within a limited time. Your experience has greatly affected the emergence of a new generation of young experts. If this continues, I'm afraid the Unfailing Realm will become extinct."

Luo Chen twitched the corner of his mouth, not expecting that Worry-Free City had considered things like sustainable development.

However, he was also aware that his cultivation required far more resources than that of ordinary martial artists.

A single Blood Refined Divine Qi is equivalent to the condensed Qi of hundreds of experts at the Flawless Realm.

Naturally, the desire to generate enough Blood Refining Divine Qi would also affect the growth of a large number of potential powerhouses.

but!

Luo Chen's eyes turned cold. "Then where will I find the resources I need for cultivation?"

Fang Zhibai was used to seeing all sorts of people, so he could naturally pick up on the changes in Luo Chen's tone. But as a powerful expert at the Flawless Realm, and with the backing of the Worry-Free City, he wasn't afraid of Luo Chen.

Instead, he said firmly, "Thirty years of leniency is enough. Luo Chen, it's time for you to stop!"

“Not enough,” Luo Chen said decisively.

Fang Zhibai suppressed his anger, "Aren't you afraid that Wuyou City will send experts to cause you trouble? Perhaps you don't know that there are true martial arts immortals in the Nine Rings of Annihilation!"

"Martial Dao Immortal?" Luo Chen was not afraid at all; on the contrary, he showed a rare eagerness on his face. "I would like to see for myself."

Fang Zhibai was caught off guard by this answer.

But after carefully examining Luo Chen, he could only show admiration.

As their ancestor had guessed, the person before them possessed a foundation far exceeding that of ordinary cultivators.

It's not just his need for resources in martial arts training, but also the strong confidence that comes with his own strength.

"That's it!"

Fang Zhibai no longer insisted on that pointless arrogance.

Or rather, in the eyes of such top-tier experts, their arrogance, relying on their background, would only make them a laughingstock.

He took a deep breath and solemnly took out a stone box from his bosom.

Upon seeing the stone box, Luo Chen was momentarily stunned.

But Fang Zhibai didn't notice that all his attention was focused on the box.

He squeezed out a drop of blood containing qi from his fingertip, which fell onto the stone box, and then cast a series of hand seals.

The stone box trembled slightly, revealing streaks of red light.

A crack opened slightly, and then a strange yet subconsciously alluring aura emanated from it.

The moment this aura appeared, the world suddenly became incredibly heavy, as if it were trying to force out all the aura within it.

pat!

Fang Zhibai quickly closed the jade box and used the hand seal again to seal the stone box.

"With this item, Brother Luo should be able to stop."

Luo Chen stared blankly at the stone box.

This stone box is extraordinary; it perfectly matches the appearance of a rare material that he learned from an enemy in the Mountain and Sea Realm years ago.

Fang Zhibai's hand seal was quite peculiar. Although it was a celestial restriction, it was executed using qi and blood, which was similar to the qi and blood restriction that he had modified and applied to Xiangfei.

But all of this pales in comparison to what he glimpsed when the stone box was opened.

"what is that?"

Its name is Immortal Essence Stone!

"Immortal Essence Stone?"

"Indeed! As you can see, a piece of immortal essence stone the size of a fingernail contains incomparably pure immortal energy, making it even more precious than the legendary immortal jade."

After some explanation, Fang Zhibai carefully pushed the stone box in front of Luo Chen.

"With this Immortal Essence Stone, you should be able to refine it and advance to the Flawless Realm!"

Luo Chen pursed his lips, his mouth feeling a little dry.

No wonder he subconsciously felt a longing just now.

Not only the physical body, but also the sealed divine consciousness trembled for a moment.

After a cultivator reaches the Divine Transformation stage, they can ascend to become an Immortal.

Legend has it that once you reach the celestial realm, you will undergo a baptism of celestial energy.

Magical power evolves into immortal power, the primordial spirit becomes nearly indestructible, the mortal body can also become the body of an immortal, and lifespan will increase to an unbelievable level.

I had once come close to that place.

Unexpectedly, after failing to ascend, he found the Immortal Essence Stone, a rare find only in the Immortal Realm, in this supposedly doomed Ruins.

A celestial essence stone the size of a fingernail, though insufficient for him at his peak to cleanse his entire body, would be more than enough to break through to the Flawless Realm.

Looking at the stone box placed in front of him, Luo Chen closed his eyes.

After the incident with Qixia Yuanjun, he would never again believe in any unfounded favors or kindness.

When he opened his eyes again, his tone of voice had changed inexplicably.

"why?"

Fang Zhibai trembled, then murmured, "I am giving this to you for two reasons. First, it is for the sake of what I mentioned earlier, to prevent the other major cities from being overly exploited by you, which would affect the birth of future strong individuals. Second, it is because my ancestor has high hopes for you and believes that you have the potential to grow to his level and find a way out of Guixu together."

"Is that so?"

Just as Bai was waking up from a dream, she saw Luo Chen muttering to himself as he picked up the jade box and examined it carefully.

Fang Zhibai was greatly alarmed. Although what he said just now was something he was going to say anyway, it was clear that his state of mind was not natural and came from the heart.

"what did you do to me?"

Luo Chen smiled and said, "I'm sorry, it's just a low-level trick to avoid anyone deceiving me."

This is no small trick.

The move just now was a sonic technique that Luo Chen developed by drawing on the soul-summoning sound of the Xiangfei flute and other classic texts he had obtained in the Mountain and Sea Realm, such as "Linjiang Xianqu" and the Buddhist "Lion's Roar".

Using powerful energy and a special rhythm to influence the will of others, sonic power can achieve an effect similar to soul-capturing magic.

"What about the third thing?"

Fang Zhibai's expression wasn't good, and his tone was naturally no better. "The third thing is that my ancestor hopes you will break through as soon as possible and go to Wuyou City to study the Great Dao together. You should have guessed it by now, my ancestor is none other than the Lord of Wuyou Realm!"

Luo Chen nodded. "Okay, I understand. Brother Fang, would you like to stay for dinner?"

"No, I have important business to attend to and will be leaving immediately."

Fang Zhibai was not in a good mood.

He was both dissatisfied with Luo Chen's previous tricks and alarmed that he had fallen for it so easily.

Only after leaving the Luo residence did he realize that his back was covered in a cold sweat.

"No wonder our ancestors favored him!"

……

Inside the Weichen Pavilion.

Luo Chen remained seated.

The fragrant aroma of tea did not disturb my mind; my attention remained focused on the stone box.

After a careful examination, he was certain that he had not made a mistake.

This stone box is indeed cast entirely from "hollow bud crystals," with its interior forming a self-contained space.

It can be seen as an alternative storage treasure that cannot expand its space by hundreds of times!

Its advantage is that it is unaffected by external influences, and even the divine sense of a Nascent Soul cultivator cannot penetrate it.

Another function of hollow crystals is little known.

That means it can be used as food to feed a fourth-order Gu worm called Vacuum Gu, allowing it to grow to the fifth order faster!

Luo Chen possessed one of the Vacuum Gu, hidden within his Purple Mansion.

It was obtained from the old ghost Nanqi back then, and was originally the treasure of the Luo Sect in the Southern Frontier!
Of course, at this moment, Luo Chen's attention was mainly focused on the contents of the box.

"Immortal Essence Stone..."

Luo Chen narrowed his eyes, his mind churning.

This place of ruins contains both the broken-image blue lamp, a magical artifact he left behind when he experimented with spatial fluctuations, and immortal essence stones that can only be produced in the immortal realm.

What kind of peculiar place could possibly gather two things at the same time?
But is the legend of eventual destruction true?
Is the return of all things to nothingness what we call the return to the void?

"Brainstorming is useless; I should refine it as soon as possible and transform it into my own strength!" (End of Chapter)