Supreme Alchemist-Chapter 2421 - 2411: Lending a Hand

Long Yan’s words left everyone momentarily stunned, including Lu Wujue beside him. After all, who isn’t afraid of death? Yet, Long Yan had resolutely refused Elder Tiancheng’s offer, a decision that caught everyone off guard.

Initially, Lu Wujue had intended to invite Long Yan to join the Tianshan Sect, but seeing Elder Tiancheng’s efforts go unreciprocated, he couldn’t help but feel a trace of relief.

Long Yan glanced at the surrounding situation but didn’t detect any hint of displeasure on Elder Tiancheng’s face. As expected of the elder of a prestigious sect, his emotions were as unreadable as an ancient scripture. It seemed the people of Shu Mountain were even more calculating than Long Yan had imagined.

Of course, offending Elder Tiancheng was out of the question. Long Yan quickly spoke.

"As a junior, I have been ignorant in the face of Elder Tiancheng’s gracious invitation. However, I have urgent matters to attend to and fear I may inadvertently burden Shu Mountain."

Having said this with calm humility, Long Yan raised his head. Elder Tiancheng remembered that he was still in Tianshan City. Thinking of the uncrossable gap in their discussion, he sighed; Long Yan was far less accommodating than he appeared.

"Do as you wish. If you need anything, Shu Mountain will assist you to the best of its abilities. In return, you will owe Shu Mountain a favor."

A surge of joy lit up Long Yan’s face. This was tacit approval from Elder Tiancheng to utilize Shu Mountain’s resources, making his quest to find Lingxi all the more hopeful. As for the favor Elder Tiancheng mentioned, Long Yan didn’t care much about it; with only three months left to live, why waste energy on such concerns?

"You may leave."

Without waiting for Long Yan to respond, Lu Wujue waved his hand in dismissal, signaling that he could go. Relieved, Long Yan turned away and pushed open the door to leave.

"Tiancheng, aren’t you too quick to promise? Will that kid even survive his journey to the Emperor Clan to assist you afterward?"

Once Long Yan had left, Lu Wujue couldn’t help but reprimand his old friend impatiently. Lu Wujue, like Elder Tiancheng, knew of Long Yan’s entanglement with the Emperor Clan—especially after Di Wuchang had approached him. It was clear Long Yan’s quest was connected to the Emperor Clan.

It was a grave investment with no guaranteed returns. Whether or not Long Yan could come out unscathed was questionable, but any errand Elder Tiancheng might assign him would certainly be far simpler than tangling with the Emperor Clan.

"Old Lu, you’re too short-sighted. To my knowledge, the Five Elements Wheel is in that kid’s possession."

Previously in the Seven-Star Hall, Long Yan had intended to return the Five Elements Wheel to his master, Zhou Xuantong, but Zhou and Tian Shu decided to let Long Yan continue to hold onto it for the time being. However, Long Yan’s sudden ascension caught them off guard, leaving the Five Elements Wheel inadvertently with him.

"What? The Five Elements Wheel? How is that possible? That thing disappeared hundreds of years ago!"

Lu Wujue’s eyes widened in disbelief. If word got out that Long Yan possessed the Five Elements Wheel, it would certainly attract countless cultivators fighting to claim it—and might even lure out some ancient recluses who had long faded from the mortal realm.

"If that’s the case, those who wish to see Shu Mountain fall will likely rejoice to no end."

Shu Mountain had always favored acts of heroism and justice, but just like light casts shadows, Shu Mountain had also accumulated plenty of Devil’s Way enemies over the years. Despite these threats, Elder Tiancheng had no intention of seizing the Five Elements Wheel from Long Yan.

Perhaps, this junior was meant by fate to be the one to save Shu Mountain.

Elder Tiancheng chuckled warmly as if seeing through a hidden truth, leaving Lu Wujue bewildered by his friend’s enigmatic expression.

After leaving the main hall, Long Yan felt a refreshing sense of clarity. The Tianshan Conference had essentially wrapped up, and now Long Yan could focus on preparations to head to the Emperor Clan.

"What are you thinking about?"

As Long Yan pondered his next steps, a cold, delicate hand landed on the back of his neck. Given Tianshan’s icy climate, even Long Yan’s robust physique shivered involuntarily.

"Congratulations, oh great genius."

The past couple of days had seen Long Qingli and Mingyue stewing in jealousy as female cultivators buzzed about Long Yan. The black-haired Long Yan carried a devil-may-care aura, while the white-haired Long Yan exuded an ethereal chill—both of which were exceedingly popular among the female cultivators.

Yet Long Qingli, in her usual disdainful style, hadn’t dwelled on such things. After all, Long Yan was hers; fearing others would take him was simply not her style. Upon hearing that Lu Wujue summoned Long Yan to the Tianshan Sect’s inner halls, she decided to join him with their group.

"Nothing much. Has the radiant Long beauty been missing me lately?"

Long Yan opened with a flirtatious remark, causing Long Qingli to choke on her breath. But he wasn’t entirely to blame; the frosty aura of the Ice Domain was instinctual, not deliberate—his personality remained as cheeky as ever.

"Hmph, as if anyone’s missing you."

Long Qingli shot Long Yan a charming, playful glance, sending an involuntary shiver down his spine. The male cultivators nearby wore expressions of infatuation, like pigs entranced by the moon.

"Brother Yan, congratulations!"

Niu Shan’s enormous head popped into view amidst the crowd. His broad, honest grin earned him a firm pat on the shoulder from Long Yan. Remarkably, over the past two days, Niu Shan hadn’t neglected his cultivation; his aura had reached the Divine Emperor first stage—not through external force, but solid progress in his True Qi cultivation base.

This surprised Long Yan; it seemed that a robust constitution was indeed an unfair advantage. As there was a banquet planned for the night—a break in Tianshan Sect’s usual traditions—it afforded the gathered geniuses an opportunity to forge connections. For Long Yan, however, these events were tedious.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t avoid attending; Niu Shan’s appetite meant their group had to stay the night in Tianshan City. Taking advantage of free provisions was just good sense in Long Yan’s book.

As Long Yan chatted with a few companions, evening descended. Tianshan Sect’s architectural extravagance was staggering—each building rivaling the headquarters of a major Commercial Association.

Jian Wuchen felt overwhelmed and hurried to hide near Long Yan for a moment of respite. Given Long Yan’s three-month lifespan and the chilling aura around him, most cultivators chose to admire him from a distance rather than interact directly.

Long Yan appreciated the tranquility, allowing himself to savor the feast without interruption. His philosophy was simple: if food wasn’t in his stomach, it wasn’t truly his.

"Greetings, Brother Long."

A man clad in armor sat beside Long Yan, his smile as warm as spring sunlight, though it contrasted sharply with the murderous air permeating his presence.

"Allow me to introduce myself—I am Ying Rentian, Second Prince of the current Imperial Dynasty!"

This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦