An Alchemist's Path to Eternity-Chapter 705: The Twenty-Seven Sects Golden Core Conference; You Are Dan Chenzi? (III)

Chapter 705: The Twenty-Seven Sects' Golden Core Conference; You Are Dan Chenzi? (III)

Sure enough, right after the two women entered, another figure drifted in behind them. The moment he landed, a wave of astonished exclamations filled the grand hall. Many cultivators flocked toward him, including some of those who had been circling Fairy Hundred Flowers and the Mistress of Fragrance moments earlier.

The reason was simple. The newcomer was Meng Changshou—a Golden Core elder of the Medicine King Sect and a famous third-tier master alchemist!

"Master Meng, it has been many years. Your aura is even more impressive than before!"

"You must be Zhou Feng!" replied Master Meng.

"You still remember me! How gentlemanly of you... I was only a Foundation Establishment junior back then..."

"Greetings, Master Meng!" said Jadewater Dragon.

"Mm. Little girl, your aptitude is fine, and you are very young. We old ones are fading. The cultivation world will soon belong to your generation," replied Master Meng.

"Fellow Daoist Meng, it has been nearly a century since we parted in that secret realm!"

"Fellow Daoist Chu, I hope you've been well!"

As the greetings rolled on, Luo Chen stood at the back of the crowd with a trace of envy flickering in his eyes. This was a true master alchemist. He was renowned and accomplished.

The moment Master Meng showed up, he drew all the attention. Even Fairy Hundred Flowers and the Mistress of Fragrance, beautiful as celestial maidens, seemed overshadowed beside him. In contrast, Luo Chen, hailed as a future master alchemist himself, felt somewhat hollow. Everyone valued him only for his potential. After all, he had formed his core not long ago, and whether he could actually refine third-tier pills remained uncertain.

Of course, Luo Chen did not belittle himself. He understood well that Meng Changshou drew such enthusiasm not only because of his personal ability but because he was an elder of the Medicine King Sect. Befriending him meant being in good relations with the sect itself and subsequently gaining access to third-tier pills!

After all, training an alchemist was extraordinarily difficult. Even nurturing a first-tier alchemist apprentice required immense resources that only mid-level sects could afford. A second-tier alchemist stretched their limits further. As for a third-tier alchemist...

To put this in numbers, when Luo Chen refined Starfield Pills, the raw ingredients alone cost two thousand spirit stones per attempt. He had the advantage of the system, which guaranteed a stable ten percent success rate. Yet even so, a single bottle of low-grade Starfield Pills cost him twenty thousand to produce, while the selling price was only four or five thousand. If an ordinary major sect trained an alchemist to refine Starfield Pills, the accumulated losses would amount to millions of spirit stones, and even if the investment was made, success was not guaranteed. The alchemist might not manage higher efficiency or higher grade outputs.

The scarcity of high-tier alchemists naturally led to the scarcity of high-tier pills.

The vast Jade Cauldron Domain was a good example. The known third-tier alchemists were Mu Yunyan of the Falling Cloud Sect and Qing Danzi, Chi Ding, and Xing Yun of Green Pill Valley. The Jade Cauldron Sword Sect had one person, and... that was all of them. The rising talents of Green Pill Valley, Qing Yunzi and Dan Yangzi, were allegedly third-tier as well, but no one had ever heard of them successfully refining a third-tier pill, let alone consumed one produced by them. The Ice Fortress used to have one—Shang Hu. Yet his own Dao companion had killed him for righteous reasons, so he was gone. The fallen Flame Alliance had no third-tier alchemists, only some inherited alchemical formulas and a few second-tier alchemists. Ailao Mountain and the Hundred Flowers Palace had none.

The entire Jade Cauldron Domain had only five third-tier alchemists. Those five could not possibly supply pills for every Adept in the domain. It was for this reason that the Medicine King Sect held such a lofty status. They generally refrained from worldly disputes, but a single appearance by one of their third-tier alchemists made him a guest of honor everywhere.

If I were to take out Starfield Pills for sale today, could I achieve the same?

The thought had barely formed before Luo Chen crushed it. How could his individual strength compare to the entire Medicine King Sect? Even if he displayed the ability to refine third-tier cultivation pills today, he would at most build connections, not attain Meng Changshou's stature.

"Come on, Dan Chenzi, it's time to bootlick!"

Fei Ming tugged his sleeve. Luo Chen did not refuse. He had never been the aloof type. Though joining now might seem like currying favor, everyone else was doing the same, and no one would judge him for it.

Besides, the exchange conference had not formally begun. Everyone was at the stage of greeting and familiarizing themselves with everyone else. No one would be tactless enough to cling to Meng Changshou and monopolize his time. Most offered a greeting and then graciously stepped aside for the next person. Seizing the moment, Fei Ming guided Luo Chen into the crowd.

***

"Fellow Daoist Meng, it has been a long time. I have missed you greatly!"

Meng Changshou was an elderly man with snow white hair, a vigorous spirit, and a rosy complexion. When he saw Fei Ming, his eyes lit up. "Ah, Fellow Daoist Fei! What a coincidence, I was just thinking of looking for you."

Such a familiar greeting set Fei Ming apart from the others who had spoken to Meng Changsheng before. Fei Ming straightened his back. "Oh my, what an honor! I feel that someone might be in need of an alchemy room!"

Meng Changshou laughed heartily. "As expected of you. You guessed it instantly. I plan to stay in Moonbreak for a while and am in need of an alchemy room that suits my habits. I will be troubling you."

Fei Ming gave a modest smile and claimed it was no trouble, yet the pride beneath that expression was unmistakable. Among so many Adepts, to be singled out by Meng Changshou was indeed something to take pride in.

Meng Changshou's gaze shifted to Luo Chen. "And this promising young man?"

Fei Ming stepped aside and personally introduced him. "He used to be the foremost Initiate in the Jade Cauldron Domain! He's now the founder of Luo Tian Sect and the alliance leader of the Luo Tian Alliance, Dan Chenzi!"

Meng Changshou's eyes brightened. Luo Chen cupped his fists formally. "Greetings, Fellow Daoist Meng."

Pa!

Before Luo Chen could react, Meng Changshou grabbed his arm. The sudden gesture stunned the surrounding cultivators. The more quick-witted had already begun speculating about Luo Chen's relationship with Meng Changsheng and the Medicine King Sect. Yet they had no time to guess further before Meng Changsheng's next words made everything clear.

The elder asked excitedly, "You are Dan Chenzi? The rogue cultivator alchemist who participated in refining the fourth-tier Nascent Soul Pill at Green Pill Valley?"

Luo Chen suddenly understood. So that's it!

He replied with modest courtesy, "I did participate, but I was not the one leading it. In the end, we regrettably failed."

"Failure is nothing!" Meng Changsheng waved dismissively. "Everyone fails at times. Besides, breakthrough pills are always the most difficult to refine. I myself have attempted fourth-tier pills for years and I haven't even succeeded once. Come on, tell me how the refinement proceeded back then. I honestly regret being mired in sect affairs at the time. Otherwise, I would certainly have..."

As he kept blabbering, Luo Chen immediately understood. The man was not up to anything nefarios; he was simply an alchemist wholly consumed by devotion to the craft, now stalled at a difficult threshold. It was only natural that running into a peer who had attempted to cross that threshold stirred massive enthusiasm.

He had encountered situations like this many times. Whenever he discussed Physique Refinement with Wang Yuan or consulted Min Longyu about formations, or even earlier, when Fei Ming spoke fervently about constructing Moonbreak, it was the same thing. Meng Changsheng simply expressed himself more openly. With his status, he no longer bothered with polite restraint. Whatever he felt, he displayed without hesitation.

There were only advantages to be had by discussing with him. Not only would Luo Chen gain some priceless insights into alchemy, but his standing in the eyes of everyone here would rise tremendously. But then, he glanced at the others. Some were surprised, some were curious, and some were thoughtful. After a moment, he composed himself and said, "Fellow Daoist Meng, there are many esteemed peers today who cannot wait to greet you. Why not choose another day and have a proper discussion?"

Meng Changsheng paused for a moment, then noticed the crowd behind Luo Chen. He looked again at Luo Chen and felt a hint of approval toward his composed demeanor. This young man truly understands restraint and propriety.

"Very well! But you're not getting away! I'll contact you later and we can have a good talk about alchemy!"

Luo Chen smiled freely and stepped out of the crowd. At once, new waves of Adepts rushed forward, some even gave him grateful nods as they passed. Yet many eyes lingered on his departing figure.

Green Pill Valley had once invited him to take part in refining a Nascent Soul Pill. Now he had drawn the interest of Meng Changshou of the Medicine King Sect. And then there were all his previous achievements... As long as he did not fall, Luo Chen would certainly become a resounding name in the Eastern Wilderness.

With that thought, some cultivators quickly grew eager. They could not squeeze through the masses around Meng Changsheng anyway. Why not befriend this rising star first?

But while they hesitated, others had already acted. At some point, several other Adepts had appeared, each one a representative of upper sects: Fairy Fengyue of Windflower Palace, Elder Ye Xiang of the Divine Talisman Sect, a representative of Sky Scrapping Cliff... and Jin Buque of the Five Elements Divine Sect.

At this moment, Jin Buque stood before Luo Chen with an affable smile. No one could tell what the two were discussing, yet their expressions gleamed with warmth. From time to time, they lifted their hands and formed spirit seals. They were clearly exchanging insights on spells.

It made perfect sense. The Five Elements Divine Sect was famed for developing ingenious techniques, and Luo Chen bore the Dao title of Fire Spirit Lord because, among other things, he excelled in fire arts. When the two stood together, their conversation naturally revolved around spells.

The arrival of the two Silktree Sect female cultivators had stirred the atmosphere. When Meng Changshou arrived, the enthusiasm had reached its peak.

Later, several more Adepts from the upper sects appeared, prompting many to approach them as well. When Huyan Zhuo, the renowned artisan of Skysail City, finally arrived, another wave of shock swept through the hall. His name was legendary across a good dozen domains, surpassing even Meng Changshou's fame.

Luo Chen was feeling gleeful; he had just obtained a secret art for cleansing foreign mana from Jin Buque. The instant he saw Huyan Zhuo, his eyes brightened even more. An artisan master! In other words, a masterful creator of life-bound treasures! He definitely had to join that crowd of bootlickers.

"Fellow Daoist Jin, shall we continue this another time?"

"No problem at all," Jin Buque said with a kindly smile as he sent Luo Chen off.

He watched Luo Chen walk toward Huyan Zhuo, and he immediately understood what Luo Chen was after. He had long been collecting intelligence on Luo Chen.

The grand elder has not awakened yet. For now, maintain a good relationship with him. There's no rush.

Luo Chen moved with a quick stride, though his expression remained composed. When he turned a corner, his steps halted instinctively. At the side stood an youthful man in azure robes, who nodded to him in greeting.

Luo Chen hesitated for a moment before offering a formal salute. "Greetings, Fellow Daoist. I am Luo Chen from the Luo Tian Sect."

The young man cupped his fists. "Greetings. I am Lin Qingxuan from the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect."

Luo Chen's expression stiffened. He stood before the former foremost Initiate of the entire Jade Cauldron Domain!

Lin Qingxuan extended one hand. "May I borrow you for a moment?"

Luo Chen hesitated. Lin Qingxuan followed his gaze toward Huyan Zhuo. With a little knowing smirk, he said, "I wouldn't bother if I were you. Master Huyan has an extremely eccentric temperament and grows impatient with strangers. If you approach him now, you won't gain anything. If anything, you may even leave a poor impression."

Luo Chen nodded, and the two walked to a quiet corner. To his surprise, there was none of the tension he had expected given that, in a sense, he'd stolen his interlocutor's title.

Then, the young man's first words shocked him.

"Thank you!"