Immortality Begins With The Alchemical Master Chapter 562: A Commoner's Innocence, A Crime of Possessing Treasures - Novel Cool

Chapter 562: A Commoner's Innocence, A Crime of Possessing Treasures

Chapter 562: A Commoner's Innocence, A Crime of Possessing Treasures

Xueyan Molo, the Blood Nightmare Demon King!

The current top-tier Demon Dao power in the North Sea, the leader of the Xueyan Molo!

Although, it's only in name.

Many high-level cultivators are aware that Xueyan Molo is an alliance of twelve Yuan Ying True Monarchs, and it's not strictly a traditional sect in the true sense.

Most of its members are early-stage Yuan Ying cultivators, but there are also powerful late-stage Yuan Ying cultivators among them.

The reason for naming the sect after Xueyan Molo and having him as the nominal leader is to borrow the reputation of the Yuanmo Zong's disciples.

With this reputation, Xueyan Molo's new rising power over the past hundred years can rightfully participate in the competition for various resources in the North Sea's cultivation world.

After all, before the Yuanmo Zong's destruction, the entire North Sea's human cultivation world was under their jurisdiction.

Of course, if ordinary people consider Xueyan Molo a puppet, they would be utterly mistaken.

To reach the Yuan Ying realm, one must possess exceptional talent and unwavering determination, enduring countless hardships to take that final step.

At the very least, Luo Chen would never underestimate Xueyan Molo based on those rumors.

Luo Chen has always held the Yuan Ying True Monarchs in awe.

Throughout his journey, none of the Yuan Ying True Monarchs he has encountered were easy to deal with.

Even the five Yuan Ying True Monarchs who seemed helpless against the top-tier demon emperor Qing Shuang had their own strengths.

He Qingzi, of course, is an exception.

Yun He Zhenren, during the Golden Core stage, managed to subdue He Qingzi, and regardless of the internal circumstances, it's evident that he has the capability. Especially since he was allowed by the He Huan Sect to leave the sect and establish his own power.

Yu Ding Zhenren, a powerful swordsman, faced the demon emperor Qing Shuang at the early Yuan Ying stage, and she pursued him for tens of thousands of miles before finally managing to kill him.

Tian Yezi, a technical talent, possesses formidable combat abilities that cannot be underestimated. Even without any treasures, he almost fought his way out against the Thunder Prison Divine Phoenix in an absolute disadvantageous situation.

Lastly, there's Han Zhan.

He is the lowest in cultivation realm and the shortest in cultivation time among the five Yuan Ying True Monarchs during the war to open up the Xiao Yue Mountain Range.

However, in several battles, Han Zhan displayed an endless array of methods, proving that he is by no means an ordinary Golden Core cultivator who can be taken lightly.

Aside from their raw strength, the scheming minds of these True Monarchs are worthy of their hundreds of years of long cultivation.

During the time at Cang Wu Mountain, Luo Chen deeply felt the scheming nature of Tian Yezi and Han Zhan.

One of them used Luo Chen's Lifebound Treasure as a means to gain an advantage, and although they ultimately failed, it was still awe-inspiring.

The other, with his deep and cunning plans, feigned death to extend his life, even fooling the Thunder Prison Divine Phoenix, who was at a slightly higher cultivation realm, and repeatedly hid his true strength.

It can be said that among the five True Monarchs, except for He Qingzi, who directly surrendered, Han Zhan, the weakest Yuan Ying True Monarch, became the only one who escaped Cang Wu Mountain and survived! Even now, Luo Chen still maintains a level of vigilance towards him.

These are just Luo Chen's superficial understandings of them.

How they scheme in private and their true nature of conduct are all unknown to him.

After experiencing these events, how could Luo Chen dare to recklessly speculate about those who are a cultivation realm higher, like those ignorant low-level cultivators?

Therefore, when Luo Chen learned that Xueyan Molo had personally visited him, he was extremely shocked.

He immediately asked Cheng Hai Xin for the details of that moment.

However, the woman expressed her helplessness, saying that Xueyan Molo's arrival was abrupt, and when Luo Chen was not present, he left decisively.

"Perhaps, Xueyan Molo came to visit because he encountered a surviving fellow disciple and was delighted."

Cheng Hai Xin looked at Luo Chen cautiously, speaking softly.

Fellow disciple?

Luo Chen's eyebrows furrowed. Could it be because of his deliberate disguise as a Yuanmo Zong cultivator?

If that's the case, it's not entirely unreasonable.

Regarding Xueyan Molo's achievements, after Wu Qi's departure, Luo Chen had sent people to specifically gather information.

Yuanmo Zong, as a sacred land for Demon Dao cultivation, has a long and ancient heritage, and internally, it's divided into three branches."

These are the Refining Soul branch, the Blood God branch, and the Yuanmo branch.

Xueyan Molo is an outstanding member of the Blood God branch, holding the position of Elder, and he governs a region outside, which is why he escaped the destruction of Yuanmo Zong.

This person has a gentle and amiable temperament and treats his subordinates very well.

After the Yuanmo Zong's destruction, he actively gathered the scattered Yuanmo Zong disciples and attempted to restore the sect.

Over the years, many exiled Yuanmo Zong disciples have voluntarily joined his faction.

Indeed, among the twelve leaders of Xueyan Molo, his faction's strength is not weak at all and is even second only to that late-stage Yuan Ying cultivator who operates behind the scenes.

The rumors of being a puppet are just that, rumors, in the eyes of those with insight.

When Luo Chen was in front of Wu Qi, he was at the early Golden Core stage, and his displayed combat abilities were not inferior to Wu Qi's, which is quite in line with the level of a direct disciple of a sacred land for Demon Dao cultivation.

Additionally, due to the Refining Soul Banner, it's not surprising that Wu Qi considered Luo Chen a disciple of the Refining Soul branch of Yuanmo Zong.

Of course, Luo Chen has never verbally acknowledged this identity! "On one hand, it's because of this identity, and on the other, it's very likely that he also values my identity as a pill concocting master!"

When Wu Qi first arrived on the island, he smelled the lingering fragrance of the high-grade Zhen Yan Dan that Luo Chen had refined.

A cultivator capable of refining a third-grade high-grade pill is not just an exceptional talent in the North Sea but also in the entire Five Continents of the Mountain and Sea Realm.

Didn't you hear what Wu Qi said? Among the twelve leaders, there's a Yuan Ying True Monarch who is skilled in pill concocting, and even he could only refine a third-grade high-grade pill by chance.

With this in mind, even if Luo Chen himself is not a Yuanmo Zong disciple, it's worth Xueyan Molo personally coming to visit.

"Perhaps, he didn't just come for a visit."

With this thought, a token appeared in his hand.

It was the Xueyan token!

Covering it with his Divine Sense, he felt a stream of blood-red light flowing like it was alive.

Han Zhan's Divine Sense transmitted a sound into his ear.

"It's true that someone activated this token, but before we left, I concealed its signal using a secret technique, preventing them from locating you through it."

Luo Chen nodded slightly.

This was indeed good news.

At least, before he met Xueyan Molo, he had enough buffer time.

"Do you want to meet him?" Han Zhan asked.

In the story that Cheng Hai Xin had just told about Xueyan Molo's visit, she mentioned the message he left, which was an invitation to meet in Cold Jade City.

Calculating the days, it was exactly the ten-year period that Wu Qi had mentioned.

Luo Chen thought for a moment and replied with a slightly low voice, "Let's see how things go."

Han Zhan chuckled, "You're not afraid to deal with high-level cultivators, are you!"

Luo Chen pulled the corners of his mouth, he really wasn't that afraid.

Throughout his journey, there were always beings with higher cultivation levels around him.

Although the atmosphere was somewhat oppressive, as long as he maintained a good balance, not only would he not suffer, but he would benefit greatly! As long as he didn't do anything to directly anger others, with his technical expertise, he would be welcomed wherever he went.

Or, to put it another way, many talented individuals skilled in alchemy and talisman crafting should rely on the support of major powers.

On the contrary, his previous decision to hunt alone overseas was the odd one out.

Seeing that Luo Chen didn't seem to care, Han Zhan suddenly reminded him, "The cultivators of the demonic path are different from the righteous cultivators in the Eastern Wilderness. Their temperaments are unpredictable, and their actions are enigmatic. If they mean you harm, I might not be able to protect you."

Luo Chen was taken aback.

Han Zhan's words seemed to imply that he didn't want Luo Chen to have contact with Xueyan Molo!

He was a bit puzzled, thinking that Han Zhan was just concerned about him.

However, from Han Zhan's words, Luo Chen also gleaned another piece of information.

That is, Han Zhan did have some hidden tricks up his sleeve, which made him unconsciously say something like "protecting Luo Chen."

It wasn't a certainty, but it was a possibility!

Luo Chen's lips curled slightly, he didn't press for more details, but instead refocused his attention on asking Cheng Hai Xin about the events that had occurred on the Phoenix Islands during his absence.

The specific details were slowly narrated by Cheng Hai Xin, who recounted everything that had happened.

The work of collecting medicinal ingredients had been ongoing.

However, it was evident that as Luo Chen's absence extended, the quantity of medicinal ingredients collected decreased.

This meant that some of the other families were becoming less dedicated.

This was an expected development, and Luo Chen wasn't surprised.

After all, a Golden Core cultivation technique was far more than just causing all cultivators to go bankrupt.

Especially for some of the smaller families, they only had one or two Foundation Establishment Early or Middle Stage cultivators, and they hadn't reached the stage of being obsessed with Golden Core cultivation.

Cheng Hai Xin's words were a bit heavy.

From the implications of her words, it was estimated that it was also related to the threat to the Cheng family's status, which was why she slightly intentionally targeted the other families.

Seeing that Luo Chen didn't seem too concerned, Cheng Hai Xin's heart darkened, and her face became even gloomier.

"My eldest brother failed in his attempt to achieve Golden Core."

Luo Chen was startled. Did that ambitious man fail in his Golden Core cultivation?

This was somewhat unexpected.

The surprise wasn't in the failure itself, but in the fact that he was actually so eager to achieve Golden Core.

Calculating the time, it had only been a few years since he obtained the Celestial Fire Alchemy Scripture, and at most, he could have cultivated it to a minor level. His haste to achieve Golden Core was bound to lead to failure.

After all, the Golden Core stage was quite challenging.

Among the Foundation Establishment cultivators Luo Chen knew in the past, whether it was the long-prepared solitary cultivator Chu Kui or the sect's true disciple Dan Tai, they all failed at the Golden Core stage, causing Chu Kui to regress in cultivation and Dan Tai to perish at the death barrier.

Even with Cheng Dou's foundation, which was inferior to Chu Kui and Dan Tai, his failure was only to be expected.

Luo Chen softly said, "My condolences."

Cheng Hai Xin pulled at the corners of her mouth, forcing a bitter smile.

"Life and death are predestined. Perhaps my eldest brother was destined to have no affinity with the Dao. It's not his fault."

When life ends, even the greatest ambitions and schemes become a thing of the past.

Luo Chen hummed in acknowledgment and casually asked who was currently in charge of the Cheng family on Black Swan Island. The answer was Cheng Hai Xin.

However, the specific daily affairs were handled by the elder Cheng Ji, while Cheng Hai Xin only held the position of the family head.

"This way, it's more convenient for me to serve as the Ascendant," Cheng Hai Xin said, bowing her head in loyalty.

Luo Chen glanced at her with a hint of playful scrutiny. In this atmosphere, her tall figure seemed to evoke a sense of pity.

Did she only realize how expensive daily necessities were after becoming the family head?

Was that why she was being more respectful and saying things to please him?

Luo Chen chuckled lightly and waved his hand.

"You may leave now. After such a long journey, I need some rest."

Cheng Hai Xin raised her head, wanting to say something but stopping herself. In the end, she bowed and withdrew from the hall.

After she left, Han Zhan's voice echoed in the hall.

"You're usually so generous. Now that she's playing the victim, won't you give her something?"

"Hehe, haven't I given enough already?"

"That's true. You allowed her to advance to the fifth layer of Foundation Establishment in just over a decade and even bestowed a suitable water-attributed magical treasure. Even a direct disciple of a major sect wouldn't receive such treatment."

"Yes, I've already given her a lot. If I give her more, she might not be able to handle it. As the saying goes, 'The fault lies not with the man, but with the treasure he carries.' If she receives too many benefits, she might encounter more troubles."

At this point, the tone in the hall paused for a moment.

After a while, a faint sigh echoed through the hall.

"After all, this region lacks resources, and I will eventually have to leave."

...

After returning to the Phoenix Islands, Luo Chen rested for half a month, and it took him that long to fully recover.

During this half-month, he first slept for two days to replenish his energy.

Then, he began healing his injuries!

The sudden battle with Jin Cao had left him with flesh wounds, but he hadn't had time to properly treat them during the long journey, relying solely on his strong self-healing abilities.

With the free time he now had, Luo Chen's medical skills and miraculous elixirs worked in tandem, and in just half a month, he recovered completely.

Such a rapid recovery also surprised Han Zhan.

However, he was unaware that Luo Chen's physical body was not only exceptionally powerful but also possessed immense vitality due to the Withering Vitality Flame refining numerous demons within it.

Even though he couldn't achieve the level of regenerating from a drop of blood or regrowing severed limbs, his body far surpassed that of an average cultivator.

The injuries inflicted by a top-tier third-stage demon king were merely a minor setback.

After recovering from his injuries, Luo Chen resumed his regular cultivation.

Advancing to the fourth level of the Golden Core Stage and stepping into the intermediate realm, he calculated that it would take him just one year to achieve this.

However, during this year, he hadn't focused on cultivation due to the collection of a third-stage demon crab king and the lack of a suitable third-stage spirit land at the time.

Now that he had some free time, he couldn't afford to waste it.

In the cultivation room, Luo Chen, dressed in a loose white Daoist robe, sat in the lotus position with his hands forming opposing spirit art gestures and his lips moving in synchronization.

Streams of vibrant spiritual energy flowed into his body from the outside, transforming into pure fire-attributed spiritual power as the Celestial Phoenix Nirvana Scripture circulated within him.

In his dantian, a crimson Golden Core spun rapidly.

Below it, a small cauldron remained as immovable as a mountain.

A pair of wings, like those of a bird, flew freely in his dantian, having shed all impurities after twenty years of cultivation, and their grade had not only stabilized at the lower-grade level but also showed signs of potential advancement.

If they could indeed be upgraded, it would be excellent news for Luo Chen.

It meant his flying speed would receive a significant boost.

Even when flying at full power, he could outpace third-stage late-stage demon kings, and if further enhanced, he could even surpass human cultivators at the Golden Core late stage.

Of course, these were all side paths.

The most crucial aspect was his personal cultivation.

Luo Chen exhaled a strand of spiritual energy from his mouth, then slowly opened his eyes after releasing the spirit art.

Discontent was evident on his face.

Having experienced the top-grade third-stage spirit vein on Moonlit Island, he found the barely third-grade lower-grade spirit vein here to be rather lackluster.

While others felt the spiritual energy to be vibrant, he felt like he was "suffocating"!

For cultivators, the path to immortality required the right resources, methods, and environment.

Luo Chen possessed an exceptional cultivation method, had Han Zhan as an excellent mentor, and had a large supply of high-grade True Flame Pills, which meant his cultivation conditions were nearly perfect.

However, the one thing lacking was the environment.

Cultivators sought immortality, but what kind of immortality?

Breaking it down, it was simply a person and a mountain.

The mountain was the spirit land.

Unfortunately, he lacked the most crucial element of the four—the spirit land.

It was indeed a significant regret.

"Under the current conditions, it will take me at least twenty years to cultivate to the fifth layer," Luo Chen muttered.

Twenty years was an unimaginable speed for the newly-formed Golden Core Luo Chen.

He had spent ten years just consolidating his realm.

But now, Luo Chen felt dissatisfied.

The Celestial Phoenix Nirvana Scripture allowed him to specialize in the Fire Dao, granting him a cultivation speed comparable to that of a Celestial Spirit Root cultivator.

However, Celestial Spirit Root cultivators were known for their rapid progress, forming a foundation in ten years, forming a Golden Core in a hundred years, and forming a Nascent Soul in two hundred years."

If it took him twenty years to reach the fourth layer of the Golden Core Stage, how many years would it take for the subsequent, more challenging minor realms? Thirty? Forty? Fifty? Or even a hundred?

If each minor realm required a significant amount of time, wouldn't all his efforts be in vain? Even if he could cultivate to the Golden Core Perfection before his lifespan limit, what about forming a Nascent Soul?

Luo Chen was accustomed to planning ahead, always thinking ahead for any task.

During the intermediate stage of Foundation Establishment, he had already begun planning for Golden Core resources.

He didn't want to wait until Golden Core Perfection to start searching desperately for Nascent Soul cultivation methods.

Therefore, some things had to be done in advance.

And to do that, he needed to allocate more time for tasks outside of cultivation.

"Leaving the Flying Swallow Archipelago is now a necessity."

"It's not just about finding a better third-stage spirit land; it's also about obtaining pills! I've long been able to refine the ultimate True Flame Pills, but I can only consume high-grade ones due to the limited resources here."

The Flying Swallow Archipelago offered a comfortable cultivation environment, but it clearly didn't meet Luo Chen's requirements.

Even the spirit land he had personally crafted in the Roaring Moon Mountains had an environment close to a third-grade middle-grade spirit vein, let alone the humble Flying Swallow Archipelago.

Nevertheless, some preparations were necessary before his departure.

For an alchemist, the essential preparation for a journey was, of course, pills.

Especially since he would likely interact with Golden Core cultivators as a master alchemist, preparing pills to showcase his alchemy skills was crucial.

Thus, on Moonlit Island, Luo Chen began the busy work of pill refinement once more.

This time, he didn't limit himself to refining True Flame Pills.

Emperor Essence Plasma, Jade Dew Pills, Insight Pills, Black Emperor Ointment... and Starry Sky Pills!

Luo Chen, with the might of the Flying Swallow Archipelago, set out to refine large quantities of various pills to solidify his reputation as a top-tier alchemist master!

(End of Chapter)

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