Longevity begins with alchemy master

Chapter 1163 The Dao Heart Shattered, Without Worry or Knowledge

Worry-Free City!
It is the foremost of the seventy-two cities, located in the central region of the Great Destruction Realm.

From the moment Luo Chen stepped into this city, he sensed its difference from other districts.

Whether it was the city walls with no fortifications or the relaxed expressions on the faces of the pedestrians inside the city, they all seemed out of place compared to the rest of the world struggling in this place.

The word "worry-free" seems to apply to everyone.

After entering the city, Luo Chen walked around, experiencing the local customs and culture of Wuyou City with his own eyes.

After a dashing man with flowing hair and a blue robe walked by with a beautiful woman in his arms, his gaze shifted to them, and he looked slightly surprised.

"Senior, what's wrong?"

Xiangfei was puzzled, then followed Luo Chen's gaze and suddenly realized.

"That must be a cultivator."

After receiving Xiangfei's confirmation, Luo Chen was certain that he had not realized he had made a mistake.

The person just now, although full of energy and blood, showed no signs of being tempered or refined.

Through his Qi sensing ability, Luo Chen could clearly perceive the "Golden Core" within the other party's Qi Sea!
It's quite interesting that, while cultivators cannot use their divine sense to conceal their abilities, martial artists can clearly sense the other's cultivation level by relying on the Qi sensing method.

However, Luo Chen was quite surprised by one thing.

"How could you recognize a cultivator at a glance without sensing any aura?"

Xiangfei said naturally, "In this City of No Worries, only cultivators usually behave like this. To put it nicely, it's called being unrestrained and carefree; to put it bluntly, it's being self-indulgent and willingly degenerate."

Luo Chen had to agree with Xiangfei's description.

In his centuries-long cultivation career, he had indeed seen some cultivators who acted differently from others and disregarded the opinions of others.

But it's really rare to see someone so openly flaunting an ordinary woman in the street.

Only those low-level cultivators who know they have no hope of breaking through, give up cultivation, and start enjoying life would act this way.

Luo Chen only occasionally saw such people in those markets when he was at a lower cultivation level.

The phrase "letting things take their course" is quite apt.

"This person..." Luo Chen originally wanted to get to know him, but after his gaze swept over another person drinking and swaying on another street, he changed the words he was about to say.

Are there many people like this in Worry-Free City?

Luo Chen's tone was somewhat low, seemingly carrying a sense of shared sorrow.

Xiangfei paused for a moment, then said seriously, "Not many, but there is indeed such a group of people. Most of them live in Pingyang Lane, and they frequent places like Zhexianlou and Zuixianju."

"Are they all cultivators? Why is this happening?" Luo Chen muttered to himself.

Xiangfei explained, "Anyone with eyes can tell at a glance that someone behaving like this is a cultivator. Only they would act this way. According to some seniors, these cultivators were stranded in the Great Destruction Realm. The limitations of the environment prevented them from using their supernatural powers and spells, and the lack of spiritual energy deprived them of the opportunity for normal cultivation. Over time, their mentality changed. And because of their long lifespan and the wealth they carried, they gradually began to enjoy pleasure and indulge in sensual pleasures."

At this point, Xiangfei sighed.

"The soul attack technique I used earlier was obtained by me in exchange for a portion of top-grade Mi Xian Yan from a down-on-his-luck high-level cultivator outside the Zhe Xian Tower."

Even though Luo Chen had heard Xiang Fei mention this before, he didn't really understand it.

After all, no matter how expensive a single dose of Immortal Smoke is, it is still insignificant compared to a secret technique that can attack the soul.

The cultivation system in the Mountain and Sea Realm is so well-developed, yet there are still very few secret techniques for attacking the soul, which shows how rare and precious such methods are.

So, what kind of destitution would make a cultivator sell such a treasured item so cheaply on the street?

It wasn't until he personally witnessed these unrestrained cultivators that Luo Chen truly understood.

Their Dao hearts have crumbled!
"Senior, let's go! I've already arranged accommodations. There's a house in Yuelong Lane that used to be the temporary residence for martial artists from Sanxiang City when they stayed in Wuyou City."

"Ah."

It was half a year later when I arrived in Worry-Free City.

The delay of one month was due to the dense fog, which forced Luo Chen and his group to change their route.

On the way to Yuelong Lane, Luo Chen kept observing the local customs and culture of the city, while Xiang Fei provided introductions and supplements, and occasionally took the initiative to talk about some of the systems of Wuyou City.

This city is located in the very center of the Great Devastation Realm, making it the safest place.

Ordinary martial artists simply cannot settle here.

Those who can reside permanently in Worry-Free City can generally be divided into three categories.

The city's native inhabitants, such as Fang Zhibai. Among these natives, the Fang family, to which Fang Zhibai belongs, is the most noble, because the Lord of Wuyou Realm is the Fang family's ancestor!
Secondly, there are the top martial artists invited by Wuyou City every hundred years, along with their servants and family members. However, high-level martial artists are not common among these people, as they spend more time cultivating on the Nine-Story Pagoda.

The third type of people are the cultivators that Luo Chen just saw!
"The top martial artists who are invited can settle in Worry-Free City for free, and so can those cultivators. Although the two groups have some interaction, it is not deep. This can be seen from the fact that their residences are located in the south and the north respectively."

"Moreover, both sides have deep-seated prejudices against each other!"

"Cultivators look down on martial artists out of genuine contempt. Martial artists look down on cultivators out of absolute crushing power."

"If it weren't for Lord Wuyou suppressing it with all his might, the two sides would probably have already caused trouble."

"However, with the number of cultivators decreasing, this situation is no longer likely to cause any trouble."

"The senior has arrived!"

In front of an old house, Xiangfei stopped talking.

People in the house had already come out to greet them. They showed Xiangfei the utmost respect, but were both curious and in awe of Luo Chen.

Luo Chen's expression was gloomy, and he asked a question as he entered.

When will we be able to travel to the Nine Rings of Ruin?

Xiangfei dismissed the servants and explained, "The Nine Rings of Destruction rely on the Nine-Layered Tower for existence. This tower opens once every hundred years, and it is always possible to leave but not enter. Within a hundred years, apart from returnees like myself and Lord Mofeng who have been seriously injured, very few people have come out on their own initiative. Now, there are still sixteen years left until the hundred-year period. Even if you have the Worry-Free Token personally issued by the Worry-Free Envoy, you still cannot enter."

Sixteen years.

Luo Chen silently read the number aloud.

If we calculate based on the time when Xiao Lin, the former city lord of Yixian City, left, it is indeed still more than ten years away.

Whatever!

He hadn't finished what he was doing yet, so he wasn't in a hurry to go in.

Once inside the house, Luo Chen naturally occupied the main room, which had the best environment and the most spacious area.

He didn't need to worry about other trivial matters. After settling in, he took out a large number of books and papers.

In the study room.

Looking at the paper filled with dense writing, Luo Chen's eyes were full of confidence.

Since he intends to develop his martial arts skills, it is essential to summarize and create a set of techniques that suit his physique.

He had done this before, which led to the creation of the "Convergence of Ten Thousand Paths" technique.

However, the "Convergence of Ten Thousand Paths" has too many limitations, focusing only on tempering the physical body and being very mediocre in cultivating qi and blood.

Even after he mastered advanced techniques such as the "Hundred Poisons Body Refining Technique" and the "Three Heads and Six Arms," ​​he still couldn't escape this constraint.

This time, he plans to use "Divine Qi" and "Demon Image Skill" as the foundation, integrate all his knowledge and experience accumulated over hundreds of years, and add martial arts knowledge from the Great Destruction Realm to create a new martial arts divine skill.

He had already begun working on this while on his journey.

Although the project was large, he was quite confident.

Moreover, Luo Chen was quite confident about the upper limit of the new technique.

He plans to invest all the achievement points he has accumulated on the attribute panel into it, and try to deduce higher-level techniques.

What needs to be done now is twofold: first, to consolidate the realm of perfection; and second, to summarize the advantages and disadvantages of various schools of body refinement, so that he can take the essence and discard the dross.

only!
Sitting in his study all afternoon, Luo Chen's mind remained unsettled.

Why?

As evening fell, Luo Chen chuckled softly and calmly stood up.

Xiangfei arrived just in time and asked Luo Chen what he wanted to eat that evening, as she wanted to cook it herself.

"I'm going out for a bit. You can figure out what to do for dinner."

Leaving behind these words, Luo Chen left the mansion alone.

Xiangfei knew very well that Luo Chen's only friend in Wuyou City was the Wuyou envoy Fang Zhibai, but since he was new to the city and hadn't presented a formal letter of introduction, he shouldn't have gone to visit him directly. So where was he going so late at night?
……

It was not yet late at night, and there was no curfew in Worry-Free City.

Even though Luo Chen's appearance was unfamiliar, the aura of qi that he deliberately displayed was enough to show that he was a top-notch martial artist.

Naturally, no one questioned them.

After leaving the mansion, following Xiangfei's earlier directions, Luo Chen appeared in a spacious alleyway among residential houses.

This place is called Pingyang Lane, where most cultivators reside.

As he walked, he dispersed his energy, sensing his surroundings.

Suddenly.

Luo Chen's expression changed, and he stopped outside a secluded little house.

He hesitated for a moment, then took the initiative to knock on the door.

A moment later, the door opened, and a young figure peeked out.

A look of surprise flashed in his eyes, but when he sensed the protective aura emanating from Luo Chen, his face clearly showed disgust.

"Musha?"

Luo Chen remained calm and simply said, "Fellow Daoist, would you mind having a chat?"

As he spoke, he showed his finger, on which was a ring.

The young man glanced at it, then froze.

"A storage ring? You're a cultivator too?"

"Ah."

"But as far as I know, there has never been a martial artist as powerful as you among the cultivators in Wuyou City."

As they were talking, the young man opened the door, making an inviting gesture.

Clearly, their shared identity as cultivators had dispelled the other party's dislike and wariness.

Luo Chen went inside and stopped in a pavilion.

Ignoring the questioning look on the other person's face, he first introduced himself.

"My name is Luo Chen. Before, I was also a cultivator, reaching the Nascent Soul stage."

The young man was taken aback, then eagerly introduced himself: "Junior Chi Mo, cultivation level: Golden Core Great Perfection."

The two exchanged a glance, and though they had once been at different levels of understanding, they now shared a rare sense of melancholy.

Luo Chen sighed and said slowly, "I can sense your cultivation level. It was because I passed by outside just now and noticed that you were trying to cultivate that I came to bother you."

Chi Mo gave a wry smile. "Is cultivating Qi here really that conspicuous?"

Luo Chen nodded. "Are you using top-grade spirit stones for cultivation?"

Having reached this point, and faced with this situation, there's nothing left to hide.

Chi Mo sat down in the chair, his face full of bitterness, and said, "That's right. I previously stumbled into an extraterrestrial battlefield. Although I had a great opportunity, I unfortunately ended up here. These top-grade spirit stones are part of that opportunity."

For some reason, Chi Mo suddenly started talking when facing Luo Chen.

As if guided, or as if he had long wanted to vent his frustrations to someone, Chi Mo recounted his origins in detail.

He came from a cultivation kingdom called the Great Yu Dynasty.

The area is resource-poor, and promotions are difficult.

However, the geographical environment is quite special. There are many independent spatial nodes around the Great Yu Dynasty, which are said to be ancient battlefields left over from the ancient war between humans and demons.

Later, through the exploration and development of advanced cultivators, it gradually formed a special place called the "Extraterritorial Battlefield".

Any cultivator who aspires to longevity and immortality will venture into the outer realms after achieving some level of mastery, hoping to obtain great opportunities to cultivate to a higher realm.

Chi Mo is that kind of person.

He did indeed succeed, obtaining the inheritance and legacy from an ancient place where a monk passed away.

However, when he was leaving, he was unfortunately caught in a spatial rift and inexplicably ended up in the Great Destruction Realm.

He was at a loss in this situation.

After living in Worry-Free City for a period of time and witnessing the depravity of the cultivators around him, he could not agree with it.

His attainment of the Great Perfection of the Golden Core stage, in particular, fueled his intense desire and impulse to break through to the Nascent Soul stage, which he had been longing for and was now within reach.

Therefore, even though he knew that the Great Destruction Realm was not suitable for cultivators, he still tried his best to cultivate it.

He also hopes to try to leave the Great Destruction Realm after cultivating to the Nascent Soul stage.

only……

The efficiency is too low!
The spiritual energy of a top-grade spirit stone, placed here, is not as good as that of an ordinary low-grade spirit stone from the Great Yu Dynasty.

Often, once released, the spiritual energy dissipates in the vast majority.

However, one cannot fully release one's divine sense, lest it attract the soul-shaking thunder and impact the origin of one's divine soul.

After talking for a while, it was already late at night.

"I'm sorry, I made you laugh, senior," Chi Mo said with a sigh of relief.

Luo Chen waved his hand, "With your talent to form a core at the age of 120, and your unwavering Dao heart even in the face of adversity, breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage would be a natural progression if you were in the outside world."

Chi Mo sighed, "Yes, I've worked so hard for so long and prepared so thoroughly. Now people are telling me that there's no hope of breaking through, and I can either give up my Dao Fruit and switch to martial arts, or I can give up and enjoy life with the long lifespan I've gained through hard work. I can't accept either of those options."

Luo Chen asked, "Then do you know that even if you break through to the Nascent Soul stage, it's impossible for you to leave the Great Annihilation Realm?"

"Of course I know, but I still want to try. Besides, even if the Nascent Soul stage doesn't work, what about the Deity Transformation stage? The Void Refinement stage..." As he spoke, Chi Mo paused, because the senior before him had once reached the Deity Transformation stage in his immortal cultivation! He couldn't help but show a look of despair, "Could it be that even someone as strong as you, senior, is unable to leave?"

Luo Chen stood up and patted him on the shoulder.

"If possible, I should disperse my golden core and transform it into qi and blood power to try my hand at the path of martial arts!"

After saying that, Luo Chen left.

Behind him, Chi Mo's expression was uncertain, still showing signs of struggle.

……

After leaving Pingyang Lane, where cultivators resided, Luo Chen headed towards the bustling main street of Wuyou City.

Named the Pavilion of Exiled Immortals, but in reality a den of fallen immortals, this place of entertainment is filled with the intoxicating smoke of immortality. Cultivators who had once achieved great success in the path of immortality enjoy the comfort of their souls amidst the smoke, immersing themselves in various illusions.

The Drunken Immortal Pavilion is brightly lit all night long. The fine wines and delicacies that were once just for entertainment have now become the best way for cultivators to pass the time.

Pawnshops lined the long street.

Whenever a cultivator takes out medicinal herbs and pills to pawn, someone will naturally offer a large sum of gold and silver.

Various immortal cultivation techniques, which were once kept secret and treasured, are now unable to fetch high prices.

After Xiangfei's introduction and Chi Mo's account, Luo Chen understood that this vast Wuyou City had developed a complete industrial chain, gradually squeezing out the wealth of these cultivators.

Of course, there are also cultivators with unwavering resolve, like Chi Mo, who still attempt cultivation but struggle immensely.

I've heard that there are others like Luo Chen who have switched to martial arts, but their progress is slow, and very few are able to break through to the ninth ring of destruction.

At the break of dawn.

Luo Chen returned to Yuelong Lane in the morning dew.

Thinking about the differences in the crowds in the two alleys, Luo Chen felt extremely complicated.

Some are unfortunate enough to fall from grace, while others try to leap over the dragon gate; everyone struggles to survive in this desolate place.

Worry-free?

It's just ignorance!
What about yourself?

In the alley, Xiangfei leaned against the door and waved to Luo Chen from afar.

"Senior, you're back!"

(End of this chapter)