An Alchemist's Path to Eternity-Chapter 18: Soul-Breaking Nail and the Calming Incense

The connection between Luo Chen and Wang Yuan was not complicated.

Back then, both of them had entered Dahe Market as rogue cultivators around the same time.

Unlike Luo Chen, who was only a first-stage Qi-Refining cultivator at the time, Wang Yuan was a Grandmaster of Innate Mastery in the secular martial arts. By a stroke of fortune, he transitioned from cultivating the Dao of Martial Arts to the Dao of Immortality.

As a result, when Wang Yuan had first arrived at Dahe Market, he displayed impressive battle prowess. He even joined a hunting squad and ventured into the mountains to hunt low-tier demonic beasts.

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At that time, Luo Chen lacked much strength, but to make a living, he followed along to help with menial tasks and carrying supplies.

Back then, due to Wang Yuan's personality and experiences, he already behaved differently from the cautious rogue cultivators. He was bold and straightforward in his actions, exuding the aura of a Grandmaster of the Dao of Martial Arts.

However, this boldness brought trouble for him in Dahe Market.

A few mid-stage Qi-Refining cultivators robbed him, taking everything he had and leaving him severely injured.

After recovering from his injuries, Wang Yuan's personality changed.

To gather cultivation resources, he had planned to enter the mountains again.

A few familiar friends lent him some items, and Luo Chen, who could now refine fasting pills, also lent him a few bottles.

The Great Million Mountains of the Eastern Wilderness were teeming with demonic beasts.

Cultivators rarely dared to light a fire for cooking when venturing into the mountains, making fasting pills highly useful.

That time, Wang Yuan ventured alone into the Ancient Plains Range in silence.

A month later, he returned with the corpse of a first-tier demonic beast.

Not long after that, the cultivators who had robbed Wang Yuan died one after another under mysterious circumstances, and everyone knew it had to be Wang Yuan acting in secret.

However, no one dared to trouble him because Wang Yuan had joined the Poshan Gang.

As the largest rogue cultivator faction in the area, the Poshan Gang was quite renowned, and combined with Wang Yuan's ruthlessness, he managed to firmly establish himself in the outer district.

Especially in the days that followed, Wang Yuan frequently sold enchanted artifacts and techniques in the market.

Those items were of dubious origin, and coupled with rumors of Wang Yuan's early exploits, people feared him even more.

It was somewhat bitter to say, but Luo Chen and Wang Yuan had come to Dahe Market around the same time.

Since then, it has been ten years.

Luo Chen had barely reached the third stage for Qi-Refining, while Wang Yuan was already at a late seventh stage Qi-Refining cultivator. It had to be said, the gap between people was even greater than the gap between humans and dogs.

After arranging the medicinal materials, Luo Chen sat by the door. He fiddled with the iron token engraved with the character "Mountain," and muttered to himself, "Why did he ask me to join the Poshan Gang and even say he'd look out for me? What is the reason behind such a sudden gesture?"

He wondered, Out of past camaraderie? Or was it because I managed to kill that fifth stage Qi-Refining short-lived fool?

Luo Chen couldn't figure it out and could only carefully put the token away.

The days that followed became somewhat monotonous.

Luo Chen handled various raw materials, practiced the Long Spring Art, and recovered from his injuries. It wasn't until nine days later that the wound on Luo Chen's abdomen finally healed completely.

According to his previous plan, he could officially begin refining the Myriad Wonders pill the next day. But Luo Chen's attention was on something else.

"This Soul-Breaking Nail turned out to be a top-grade enchanted artifact!"

In his hands was a pair of pitch-black, heavy nails—sharp at the front and massive at the back.

The two long nails carried a strong scent of blood, with faint threads of crimson interwoven against the black, creating an eerie effect.

Luo Chen continuously infused enchanting power into the Soul-Breaking Nail, causing it to hum before it suddenly shot out.

Whoosh!

One Soul-Breaking Nail pierced into a large stone in front of the small courtyard at lightning speed, sinking out of sight.

"It's actually this sharp! If I'm not mistaken, it must have the Armor-Breaking Array inscribed on it!"

Enchanted artifacts were categorized into three grades: top, middle, low.

The criteria for determining their grade were the number and quality of the inscribed formations.

This pair of Soul-Breaking Nails only had one formation inscribed, but since the Armor-Breaking Array was a second-tier formation, its power was extraordinarily immense.

"No wonder I was severely injured without the ability to fight back. According to that short-lived fool's last words, even Wang Yuan couldn't defend against it. Clearly, its armor-piercing attribute had reached the pinnacle among enchanted artifacts."

Wang Yuan was no weakling; before he started cultivating the Dao of Immortality, he had been a grandmaster in the secular martial arts.

After stepping onto the cultivation path, he had killed countless people and beasts. His cultivation realm was high, and his combat skills were formidable.

For that short-lived fool to injure Wang Yuan, who was at the fifth stage of Qi-Refining, the Soul-Breaking Nail was indeed a powerful tool.

Luo Chen wondered out loud, "However, its flaws seem equally apparent. Shooting one Soul-Breaking Nail actually consumed half my spirit power. If I shoot both at once, wouldn't I be completely drained?"

"And also!" Luo Chen said as he continuously channeled his spirit power. However, the Soul-Breaking Nail embedded in the stone didn't budge an inch.

It doesn't come back!

The advantages and disadvantages of this top-tier enchanted artifact were far too obvious. Its armor-piercing ability was exceptional. However, it consumed enormous spirit power and couldn't be controlled, nor could it be summoned back after being launched.

Its material was sturdy enough not to break easily; otherwise, it would practically be a disposable artifact.

Perhaps for this reason, despite having a second-tier formation inscribed, it could only be classified as a top-grade enchanted artifact rather than the legendary supreme-grade artifact.

Luo Chen cracked open the stone, retrieved the Soul-Breaking Nail, and happily stored it in his storage bag.

"To me, the no-return aspect isn't much of a downside since I never learned the Traction. Compared to my rusty old lower-tier enchanted sword, this is like upgrading from a musket to a cannon."

After a moment of joy, Luo Chen returned to his room and lit a stick of calming incense.

The orchid, musk-like fragrance gradually calmed his restless soul. This deep sense of comfort from his soul nearly made him moan aloud.

However, Luo Chen didn't have the luxury to indulge; he quickly began practicing the Long Spring Art.

One stick of calming incense per day was enough to allow a cultivator to practice their core technique five additional times.

Luo Chen, who had once been limited to only two or three full cycles of the technique, could now complete all eight cycles of the Long Spring Art!

What did eight cycles mean?

One cycle restored twenty percent of his spirit power; eight cycles meant hundred sixty percent, enough to cast thirty-two Fireballs.

It could be said that the calming incense was the second most valuable item from this haul, right after the storage bag and Soul-Breaking Nail.

Even in his dreams, the scenes from that day had replayed several times.

That was the first time since his transmigration that he had faced death head-on! He kept recalling it, not out of fear, but to remember the situation and prepare for encountering something similar in the future.

With the aid of the calming incense, Luo Chen suddenly realized that he could have handled that fight much better.

The Soul-Breaking Nail was fast, but he had practiced the Carefree Wander and could have tried to evade it.

Even if he couldn't completely avoid it, he wouldn't have been so gravely injured or nearly killed on the spot.

Moreover, the enemy was in terrible condition at the time, what if he had struck first? Could he have caught the opponent off guard?

He hesitated and relied on luck, forgetting that striking first was often the key to success. Even in the direct confrontation that followed, his fighting style had numerous flaws.

The third fireball had already broken through the enemy's defense, at most, two more would have sufficed. Yet, in his excitement, he wasted all his spirit power in one go. As a result, he had no combat capability left afterward.

I was lucky to have encountered Wang Yuan.

What if I ran into someone else? Would that someone else still be familiar to me? And would they have let me off?

As these thoughts crossed his mind, he chuckled bitterly. Even those who knew him might not have been able to resist temptation!

The belongings of two Qi-Refining Realm cultivators were no small fortune, after all.

"My combat experience is truly lacking!"