Eternal Cultivation of Alchemy

Chapter 2053  At the Garden

Arriving at the garden, Alex could already sense the many spiritual senses that tried to lock onto him. His hope of people having defeated each other was shattered right then. It was wishful thinking, to begin with.

A few people stepped outside after he arrived at the gate of the garden, watching him and the surroundings at the same time just in case this wasn't an ambush.

"Are you here to join the group?" the one at the front was a man in gray robes, something Alex didn't recognize. But based on the man's cultivation base that was at the peak of the Immortal Ascendant realm, it was possible that he had simply gotten the leadership role just because he was strong.

"I have no intention to join, but I would like to ask if it's possible to take a tour of the inside without joining the group," Alex asked.

A few bursts of laughter rang through the small crowd that gathered. The leader snickered as well. "Be honest. Do you really expect us to let you scout our group?" he asked.

"Ah!" Alex said. He didn't even care about the people here, but that was the way they saw what he wanted to do. "I was truly just thinking about the garden. Since I don't want to join your group, and you don't intend to let me in, should we just get to the point and fight?"

Midnight appeared in his hand and he was ready to bring out the shield and pills should the necessity arise. The crowd was stirred by that comment as many people too began bringing out their various weapons.

"Stop!" someone shouted from far away, quickly flying in their direction.

Alex turned around and saw a blur of green land close to him. Looking closer, it was the man he had fought back in the graveyard.

Miao Wupeng. "Hey, brother Dawnblade," the man said out loud. "It's been a while."

Alex paused but did not lower his guard. He looked in the direction the man had come from. It was the Trueheart Plaza.

"Do you know this man, brother Miao?" the leader asked.

"Let's just say we became close brothers after a bout," the man said. "What are you doing here, brother Dawnblade?" "I'm trying to enter the garden without joining the group," Alex said. "What are you doing here? I saw you left the graveyard, but did I just see you come from the Plaza."

"Yes, I was training my Saber there," the man said. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"So… why are these guys listening to you?" Alex asked, confused. "Shouldn't they be attacking you right now?"

"Oh, the plaza and the garden are one. We are the same group, just split into two parts to protect the two sections," the man explained.

Alex hadn't expected a group to control two locations at once. But then again, he hadn't expected anything. "Are you still searching for the treasure?" the man asked.

Alex nodded.

"Then join our group. You can freely search this garden and the plaza without any worries," the man said.

Alex thought for a moment and shook his head. "I need to search more than just the two. I need to go to the other garden too, and then the palace," he explained.

"That's even better," the man said. "Join us and we can attack the other two together. They are one group too, so it will be easier."

Alex hadn't expected that possibility either, so he had to take a mental step back at that moment and think through this properly. If he joined this one group, then… there was only one group to fight?

That one group would be one that he would have to fight regardless if he left here to go there alone. They wouldn't let him enter on his own as well.

He hadn't made any plans of joining any groups at all until now and had been rather adamant about not joining any in his mind, but thinking through it with an open mind, life was much easier if he just joined this one.

"You're certain there is only one group to fight?" Alex asked.

"Well, they are one, but they are split into two. So we will have to fight them twice most likely," the man said. "But that should only make things easier since they are separated. Unlike us, the locations they control are far apart, so help doesn't come to them so quickly."

That was obvious. The heart and the left lung were obviously closer to each other than the right lung and brain.

"Alright, if you're not lying, I will accept your offer. I will join the group," Alex said.

"Yes!" the man said excitedly. "Oh, this is going to be so fun!" "I don't know about fun," Alex said. "I have work to do here."

"What work?" the man asked. "I thought I was going to get to fight you."

"Maybe once I'm done going through the garden," Alex said. "I'm still in the middle of searching for the treasure."

"There's no treasure inside the gardens," the man said. "If any, it should be inside the plaza. Do you want to check there?"

"I'll get there when I'm done with this one first," Alex said. He couldn't skip through the organs. He needed to go in order to figure out which meridians led to what organs.

"Okay," the man said with a dejected look. "Do it fast though. We should be attacking the other garden soon."

"How soon?" Alex asked. "You'll know once you take the oath."

Alex nodded. "What's the oath?"

The oath was simple. It simply stated that Alex would not betray anyone within the current group and fight against the members of other groups to the best of his ability should the situation arise. The oath lasted until they left this secret realm.

Alex spoke the oath and was finally allowed into the gardens. The people were mostly confused as to why Miao Wupeng spoke so closely with Alex, considering his cultivation base. But, since they knew how strong the man was, they decided not to question his actions.

Alex walked into the garden, and before even looking for the white path, he began picking up the ingredients that were lying around, which most hadn't picked up.

"What are you doing?" the man asked as he followed Alex inside.

"Gathering ingredients," Alex said. "Why?"

"How do you know which ones to take?" he asked.

"I'm an alchemist," Alex said. "I know which ones to take."

"Oh…" the man said with a surprised look. "You're an alchemist on top of being a great fighter? Our sect would love you."

"I have no intention of joining your sect," Alex said as he walked over to the next plant and took 3 of the 5 fruits that grew on it. He left the 2 for the sect as they had requested that people not take away everything.

"You do know that Prime Alchemist Cleardrop is the strongest Alchemist in the entire Myriad Spirit realm, right?" the man asked. "And she is an elder of my sect."

Alex stopped and looked back. Now that he thought about it, he had heard the strongest Alchemist in the entire realm being in the Spring Grass continent. But he hadn't known that she was an elder of the Spring grass sect, or that she was even a She.