The cultivator preparing to ascend to the upper realm was none other than Saint Alchemist Chu Yan! 

Fu Chaosheng had revealed the news only after they entered the Central Continent, and Luo Chen had been deeply shaken when he first heard it. He had been raised with stories of Chu Yan, whose achievements in alchemy had made this name legendary among alchemists throughout the world. Yet outside those circles, admiration for the skill was often accompanied by criticism of the person—specifically, the choice to leave the Nether Origin Sect and join the Dao Sect.

Now, however, Luo Chen found it difficult to regard that decision as a mistake. Chu Yan had reached Divine Transformation and stood on the verge of ascending to the upper realm. For a cultivator pursuing immortality, what greater proof of success could there be? If anything, this path showed just how much a cultivator's choices could shape their fate. Could Chu Yan have reached this point while staying in the Nether Origin Sect? Most likely not. The Eastern Wilderness had not seen news of a cultivator ascending to the upper realm...