After returning to his residence, Luo Chen felt a trace of regret. If the Divine Ghost Heartmirror had been still around, it would have been better. He could have used it to the fullest extent with Mirror Flower Water Moon, and he could have easily chosen a more suitable path for Xu Muxian.

But then again, no matter what he said, there was no guarantee that Xu Muxian would listen to him. And even if Xu Muxian listened, there was no guarantee that he would actually try his best. And if he tried his best... and still gained nothing? Would Xu Muxian then resent Luo Chen? Would he say Luo Chen was an irresponsible master?

Luo Chen thought about these questions for a moment, then dismissed them. In the end, Xu Muxian was only a disciple in name. There was only so much effort Luo Chen could invest.

***

Just as Xu Muxian had said, a hundred years passed in the blink of an eye.

Luo Chen's time in the Flying Swallow Archipelago also slipped away quickly amid his monotonous days of cultivation and alchemy. Before he knew it, three years had passed in a flash, as if it had all been a moment's distraction. During those three years, Luo Chen stockpiled massive amounts of pills. The Flying Swallow Archipelago lay in a remote region, and the Northern Sea differed greatly from the Eastern Wilderness; due to this, many ingredients were difficult to obtain. Yet even so, Luo Chen still managed to refine many of the pills he knew through various improved methods.

In the eyes of outsiders, he was merely a third-tier alchemy grandmaster. But on the system panel and in reality, he was already a genuine fourth-tier alchemist, well-versed in all fundamental techniques and proficient in alchemic theory. All kinds of alchemical techniques came naturally to him. When he lacked the proper medicinal materials for first-tier and second-tier formulas, he could experiment until he found appropriate substitutes.

Fasting Pills, Spirit Passage Pills, Jade Dew Pills, Imperial Nectar, Starfield Pills, True Flame Pills...

Over three years, Luo Chen's pockets became full. The price, of course, was that the great families of the Flying Swallow Archipelago suffered greatly as their resources were squeezed to the absolute limit. Yet no one dared voice their anger as none of them dared challenge the Devil Lord.

***

One day, Cheng Haixin delivered an invitation.

Luo Chen looked at the gold-stamped card and revealed an enlightened expression. "Huh... No wonder they wanted to see me in ten years."

The invitation clearly listed the time and location of a large-scale auction—specifically, in Jadecold City, ten years from the meeting with Wu Qi—along with a dense list of rare materials. The invitation had been brought by the Flying Swallow Merchant Caravan, and it had been entrusted to them by Wu Qi.

Cheng Haixin explained from the side, "Jadecold City is on Coldlight Island. That island is one of the largest in the southeastern part of the Northern Sea. There are countless cities on it, and all kinds of forces mixed together. Overall, it's considered neutral territory."

Luo Chen frowned. "Neutral? Shouldn't it fall under the Blue Sea Alliance?"

Cheng Haixin shook her head. "Not exactly. Jadecold City is the largest city on Coldlight Island, and also the strongest force there. The city lord, Fairy Jadecold, once had ties with a Sage from the Primordial Devil Sect. With that Sage backing her, she was able to take control of the city. Even after the Devil Sect fell, people still saw her as a remnant of the sect. The Blue Sea Alliance once tried to bring her in, but she refused."

"Didn't Devil's Snare attempt to recruit her?" asked Luo Chen.

"They did. She refused them too."

Luo Chen felt surprised. In the current chaos of the Northern Sea, refusing to band together and standing apart from the world was no different from courting death. Then, he suddenly understood what was going on. Jadecold City had always been quiet and detached, yet it was now hosting a grand auction that was bringing together forces from all sides. Was this not a signal?

As for what exactly it signaled, that could only be one thing: a choice! Through this auction, the lord of Jadecold City would likely choose a side. Maybe it would be the Righteous Blue Sea Alliance, maybe Devil's Snare, maybe another upper force. Whichever it was, they would welcome the chance to gain another Sage and secure control over Coldlight Island.

Now that he thought of it, Luo Chen realized that the forces involved had known about this "signal" for a good while now. This perfectly explained Wu Qi's ten-year deadline and the visit of Blood Nightmare to the Flying Swallow Archipelago—Devil's Snare had been preparing for years for this occasion.

"So if I go, I'll most likely run into people like the Blood Nightmare," Luo Chen muttered to himself.

He was not particularly afraid of dealing with Sages. After all, an outstanding alchemist was welcomed wherever they went unless they encountered someone jealous of talent. Besides, Luo Chen was an Adept, and not a weak one either. He would not face the same situation as in the Qi Refinement stage, when Mi Shuhua "recruited" him, or rather conscripted him, and treated him as a tool.

He looked again at the invitation. The densely listed materials stirred his interest, and he spotted more than a dozen auxiliary ingredients needed for the Nascent Soul Pill!

Over the years, the Flying Swallow Merchant Caravan had also been gathering the ingredients for the Nascent Soul Pill for him, yet the results were pitifully few. Not only were they rare, but even some of the more common ones were extremely expensive. All in all, a set of ingredients for such a pill was far beyond what the cultivators of the archipelago could afford. In fact, some materials required more than spirit stones; they also required certain qualifications. Without the proper status or cultivation, they could not even gain access to the seller, let alone make a purchase.

"Devil Lord, are you going?" Cheng Haixin asked cautiously, though she already knew the answer.

Over the years, Azure Yang had been refining pills in great quantities, many of which he did not even need himself. It clearly looked like preparation for a long journey. In other words, he had already decided to leave.

Sure enough, Luo Chen nodded slightly.

Cheng Haixin understood, but another question was even more important. "Devil Lord... if you go, will you come back?"

Luo Chen looked at her and asked in return, "Do you want to leave with me?"

"I..." The woman hesitated.

"It's fine. Think about it. You may leave now; I still have something to take care of."

Cheng Haixin revealed a hesitant expression. In the end, she still gave a graceful bow. "Alright."

Once she was out of sight, Luo Chen sighed. If she truly wanted to leave with him, he would not object. Over the years, Cheng Haixin had handled many trivial matters for him and had already learned his habits. If she followed him, she could continue managing those affairs and he would naturally gain another helping hand. Moreover, she was talented and a genuinely good person. But it was clear she was tied down by her family and could not simply walk away.

Luo Chen did not dwell on it. If Cheng Haixin was not there, he would find someone else. At the moment, another matter required his attention.

With a flick of his wrist, a dazzling golden pill appeared in his hand. If one listened closely, a faint sound like a baby's cry could be heard echoing from it. It was the Transformation Pill!

During the three years at Green Parasol Mountain, Luo Chen had managed to refine a batch of Transformation Pills, five in total. He had handed four to Nether Spring and kept the final one under the pretext of research. Pills like this were rare treasures; even though Luo Chen had grasped the basic method of refinement and had refined some in the past, he still could not produce them. The reason was simple—the main ingredient was impossible to obtain! The primary ingredient of the Transformation Pill was the blood essence of a Sage; how was Luo Chen supposed to get something like that?

With the Transformation Pill in hand, Luo Chen sent out a voice transmission. Before long, a gust of wind swept across the hall's entrance. At the same time, a lazy voice drifted in as if it had just woken up.

"Heavenjade, take it easy. If you wreck Master's plants, he'll scold you."

"Mind your own business, you fat worm. I can't believe you have the audacity to tell me what to do when you sleep all day like that."

"Heh, you little chicken..."

"Are you asking for a fight?"

"Come on, try me. I am not afraid of you now."

"So what, you think I'm afraid of you? Let's head out to sea! You'll find out why they say the early bird gets the worm!"

While delivering these friendly compliments, an enormous seagull and a flood dragon shrank down to a more manageable size and entered the grand hall. Before they could even speak, their gazes instinctively fell upon the golden pill.

Gulp! Gulp!

Both Demon Kings couldn't help but swallow dry when they saw the pill.

Luo Chen smiled faintly and raised his hand, and the Transformation Pill slowly drifted before them.