An Alchemist's Path to Eternity-Chapter 102: The Land of Spirit Veins, Spirit Stone Ore (I)

Deep beneath Crescent Moon Valley, there was actually a place where spirit energy condensed so densely that it nearly pulsed with life. Luo Chen stood still for a moment, startled by what he'd seen. Then, slowly, realization crept into his mind.

But he didn't act on it immediately.

Instead, he calmly stepped outside his stone house and made a brief appearance before Gu Caiyi and the others. He offered them a casual smile, making sure to show he was fine. Luo Chen knew the value of keeping things under wraps. If anything had seemed amiss, Mi Shuhua would have surely come to investigate personally. And if that happened, whatever treasure or secret lay beneath the valley would no longer be his alone.

By evening, most of the alchemists had finished their work and left. The day's refined pills were securely locked in the pill storage room, and a quiet calm returned to the Alchemy Hall. Luo Chen turned to Gu Caiyi and casually informed her that he'd be staying late to continue refining Jade Essence pills.

Gu Caiyi had no objections. For now, Luo Chen was the only one truly capable of refining the pills. The others—apprentices and fire handlers—were still in the midst of learning the methods he had taught.

Once most of the hall was clear and only a few guards remained, Luo Chen made his move. He slipped back into the stone chamber and removed the hidden stone slab.

"Let's see if that branch of the first-tier spirit vein truly exists," he murmured to himself.

Lifting the stone slab, Luo Chen descended into the underground mine tunnel.

He chose a tunnel that extended downward, releasing a small puppet that followed closely behind him.

Is it blocked? This path doesn't work either. I'll try another tunnel.

The direction seems to be off. It seems I'll have to use some special methods!

After once again being blocked at the end of a sealed mine tunnel, Luo Chen realized that this place had probably not yet been discovered.

As a result, there were no direct tunnels leading to it.

If it were before, Luo Chen might have needed an enchanted artifact to slowly carve through the stone. But now, he had something far better—the Mountain Cleaving Monument Breaking Palm.

A surging spirit power rushed through his meridians.

A heavy thud echoed as stone shattered away. He let the debris fall and strike his body, knowing his mid-grade enchanted robe would easily protect him. With every palm strike, he carved a little deeper, pushing toward that invisible pulse of power he'd glimpsed with the Spirit Eyes.

"It looks quite deep!" Sighing, Luo Chen continued repeating this action.

One strike, another strike, and yet another!

Here and there, he even discovered small pockets of untouched Star Silver ore. With practiced ease, he drew his Jade Blade and carved out several shining pieces, careful not to waste a sliver. As he moved, he noticed the proficiency of his Mountain Cleaving Monument Breaking Palm slowly increasing. The technique was a mundane martial skill, still rough in terms of spirit power usage, but that also meant it didn't drain him too much.

Luo Chen glanced at his status panel and, seeing the growing proficiency of the Mountain Cleaving Monument Breaking Palm, nodded with satisfaction.

After an hour of work, Luo Chen finally slumped against the wall and sighed. "Damn, it's deep... I can't finish this today."

If he delayed any longer, it would be too late to return. Zhou Yuanli and Liu Qiang, his bodyguards, were still stationed up top in Crescent Moon Valley, waiting for him.

With a sigh, Luo Chen used a large boulder to temporarily block the unfinished tunnel and made his way back out.

***

Elsewhere, at the Mi family's estate, Mi Shuhua had just concluded a meeting with a newly relocated Foundation Establishment cultivator when he heard a report from his daughter. "Luo Chen came by looking for me today?"

His curiosity was piqued. "What did that boy want from me?"

Mi Junping really disliked Luo Chen; he had received far too many benefits from the gang. He even seemed unsatisfied. Compared to the benefits he had received, the value he had created for the Poshan Gang and the Mi family was still far from sufficient.

She pursed her lips, her tone sharp and disapproving. "Tch, what else could he want? He's definitely trying to ask you for more benefits. That guy is simply insatiable!"

Mi Shuhua frowned, displeased with her attitude. His daughter, he thought, still lacked vision. She only knew how to measure short-term gains, unable to grasp the long-term benefits.

Compared to what he was investing now, the value Luo Chen could bring in the future was immeasurable!

As for Mi Junping, she had been unable to restrain herself in her youth, fell in love with a cultivator, and even had a child. Even though she had his full support, she was unable to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm for the rest of her life.

This had forced Mi Shuhua to give away the hard-won Foundation Establishment pill as a reward. The second generation of the Mi family had no worthy successors! Fortunately, among the third generation, there were still a few who were worth grooming.

After thinking for a moment, Mi Shuhua said, "Mi Li should be home, right? Call her over. I need to ask her something."

Mi Junping was not particularly fond of her daughter. It was because of that man and this daughter that her own breakthrough to Foundation Establishment had become impossible.Soon, Mi Li arrived and quietly explained what had happened at the Alchemy Hall

Before long, Mi Shuhua learned most of what had happened in the Alchemy Hall involving Luo Chen that day.

New novel 𝓬hapters are published on freёwebnoѵel.com.

"So he promoted an old fire handler to team leader?" Mi Shuhua raised an eyebrow. "Out of kindness?"

"He said he wanted to ask him about cultivation bottlenecks," Mi Li replied softly. "The two of them left together. I think he's facing some kind of difficulty."

That made sense, Mi Shuhua thought. Likely, Luo Chen had wanted to consult with him about cultivation and couldn't find him, so he took someone else.

"Also," Mi Li hesitated before adding, "this afternoon, Hall Leader Luo successfully refined another batch of Jade Essence pills."

"His talent in alchemy is indeed extraordinary; at least, no one in the second or third generation of the Mi family can match him," Mi Shuhua sighed. But then came the unexpected.

"During the process, something went wrong. Hall Leader Luo's eyes began to bleed."

The moment those words left her mouth, Mi Shuhua stood up abruptly, his face full of genuine worry.

"What?! What happened?"

Mi Li's heart sank. Her grandfather had never once shown that level of concern for her. Still, she explained calmly, "He said it was due to overusing the Spirit Eyes. Too much strain during alchemy."

Mi Shuhua paced the room with small steps, his brows furrowed tightly.

This was indeed a problem. Spirit Eyes, though a low-tier spell, was infamous for its dangers. Sects often warned their disciples to use it sparingly. Overuse could draw unwanted attention—or worse, cause lasting damage to the eyes.

There were two well-known dangers with Spirit Eyes. First, it could easily offend high-tier cultivators. And second—it could damage the user's own eyes.

Mi Shuhua slowly sank into his chair, regret surfacing like a tide. He had been too hasty. Luo Chen was still so young, barely at the sixth stage of Qi-Refining, yet he had pushed him to refine pills so frequently. It was no wonder the boy had reached his limit. He thought Mi Junping earlier for being shortsighted, but now he realized... he had been no better.

What family ever produced a top-tier alchemist in just a few years? It took decades—sometimes even centuries—to cultivate one. The more he thought about it, the more guilt settled in his chest like a stone.

After a moment of contemplation, Mi Shuhua reached into his storage pouch and pulled out a jade bottle. The faint shimmer of its surface betrayed its value.

"Mi Li," he said, handing the bottle over, "take this to Luo Chen tomorrow. Tell him to apply one drop in each eye after every alchemy session."

Mi Junping, standing nearby, saw the bottle and blurted out in shock, "Father! Isn't that the Runming Pearl Essence you bought at the auction? Why are you giving that to him?"

Mi Shuhua's gaze turned cold as he looked at her. "This item is useless for my cultivation. Keeping it does me no good. Why shouldn't I give it to someone who needs it?"

Mi Junping's lips twitched as she looked away, her voice softening. "It must've cost a few spirit stones..."

With a sigh, Mi Shuhua finally couldn't hold back."Junping, you need to broaden your mind. Lately, people have been coming to me, saying that you're too harsh on the cultivators in the gang, often reducing or withholding the rewards they deserve."

"Father, those rogue cultivators don't even deserve..."

"If this continues, the Mi family will lose the hearts of people in the Poshan Gang."

Mi Junping scoffed, though her voice was quieter now. "But with your Foundation Establishment strength... why does their loyalty matter?"

Mi Shuhua fell silent. Then, after a long pause, he asked quietly, "And how long do you think I can live?"

These words made Mi Junping cover her mouth, and a terrifying thought arose in her mind.

Could it be that her father's lifespan was running out?

Mi Shuhua turned his gaze away and said nothing more. With a flick of his sleeve, he motioned for them to leave.

Mi Li led her dazed mother away, holding the jade bottle in her hand. Under the moonlight, she glanced at the courtyard where Mi Shuhua was and felt a twinge of fear in her heart.

For years now, the Mi family, as a local Foundation Establishment family, had been riding high in prestige, also controlling the Poshan Gang externally. Their daily interactions were like adding flowers to brocade and cooking with roaring flames—lavish and prosperous.

But if Mi Shuhua were to fall, what would become of the entire family?

She didn't dare finish the thought.

***

"From the Gang Leader?"

Luo Chen paused in the midst of preparing for the day's alchemy session, his curiosity piqued as he accepted the small jade bottle from Mi Li. He gave it a gentle shake—liquid rippled softly within, producing a faint, soothing sound.

Mi Li softly explained, "This is Runming Pearl Essence. After each alchemy session, you can apply a drop to your eyes. It effectively relieves eye strain."

Runming Pearl Essence!

Luo Chen's expression froze. The name alone was enough to make him still.

This was an excellent item!

He remembered it clearly from The Treatise on Green Origin Pills. This wasn't some common essence—it was a rare spirit medicine, known to provide incredible support to low-tier alchemists. But most ordinary alchemists could rarely afford it. The reason was simple.

It originated from the premier sect of the Jade Cauldron Domain—the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect.

Though the sect's reputation was built on its sword cultivation and overwhelming battle prowess, it still possessed its own internal corps of alchemists. After all, a great sect couldn't rely on outsiders for everything.

Runming Pearl Essence—originally named Clarity Essence—was first developed for sword cultivators.

Sword cultivators used sword orbs as their primary weapon in battle. The method to control sword orbs relied primarily on divine consciousness. However, against some enemies, divine consciousness alone was insufficient—they also needed sensory assistance. And so, the sect's alchemists created Clarity Essence—a powerful eye-enhancing medicine.

With long-term use, it could cause extraordinary changes in a sword cultivator's eyes—piercing illusions and discerning the truth.

Clarity Essence was a top-tier medicinal item, typically reserved for Foundation Establishment disciples and Golden Core Adepts.

But if a medicinal pill served only internal purposes, it would lose much of its value.

Thus, the alchemists of Jade Cauldron modified its formula and developed a weaker version—Runming Pearl Essence. This pill was not only supplied to internal disciples but also sold externally.

While its market performance was average, the spirit stones earned helped offset the costs of producing Clarity Essence. Runming Pearl Essence was of little use to high-tier cultivators, but it was highly effective for Qi-Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Occasional use could alleviate eye fatigue. Long-term use allowed cultivators to easily distinguish between Yin energy, turbid energy, fiendish energy, and other impurities. It is helpful to provide improved perception of spirit impurities—an incredible aid for alchemists, talisman crafters, and array masters alike.

This was said to be due to one of its main ingredients: the rare Smoked Pearl nurtured by a Yin Beast Smoked Shell. This was how it came to be known as Runming Pearl Essence.

Holding the jade bottle, Luo Chen was ecstatic.

He certainly wasn't suffering from eye fatigue. That issue had been resolved long ago when Spirit Eyes reached Perfection level.

Yesterday's bloody eyes were caused by Spirit Eyes advancing to Grandmaster level and embedding itself in his vision.

But he wasn't about to reject such a treasure. After all, this was a heartfelt gesture from Mi Shuhua!

I didn't even have to ask, and he brought it to me.

Why didn't I encounter such a good boss in my previous life?

After holding the bottle a moment longer, he nodded in satisfaction and tucked it into his storage pouch.

He'd use it soon. According to the books, regular use of Runming Pearl Essence would still benefit an alchemist's long-term vision.

Suddenly, his voice rang out across the Alchemy Hall, loud and full of energy.

"All right, what are you standing around for? Light the fires and start refining!"

The calm was instantly broken. Cultivators sprang into motion, the organized bustle of alchemy beginning anew and Gu Caiyi directed the apprentices to transport medicinal materials into the alchemy rooms.

Meanwhile, Qu Hancheng—the newly promoted fire-handler leader—barked out orders, assigning six fire-handlers to each room. Two were stationed to watch the fire at all times. If one faltered, the other would step in instantly.

As the fires roared to life, casting golden-orange hues across the polished stone, Luo Chen strolled through the hall, hands behind his back, eyes sharp.

Today's alchemy was just beginning.

***