Peak Luotian: Since We're Already Here

Hum... A strange, low drone sounded as faint ripples gradually spread outward. At the very center of those rippling waves, an entrance slowly unveiled itself. The ghostly creatures lurking around instantly took notice and came swarming in from all directions. At the entrance, a Golden Core cultivator prepared to strike, but Min Longyu stopped him with a low bark. "Wait!" Meeting the puzzled gazes of the others, he explained, "Do not fret. These low-tier ghosts belong to Elder Bai. They were deliberately lured here to guard the entrance to the blessed land. They are friends, not foes!" Understanding dawned on the crowd. Looking closer, sure enough, once those low-tier ghosts drew near, they showed no hostility. Instead, they drifted around the perimeter, concealing everyone's presence. This way, ghosts elsewhere would not easily detect that the Alchemy Saint Blessed Land had been opened. Min Longyu looked into the distance as the compass in his hand began to hum and tremble. Amidst the violent shaking, the needle finally settled facing east. "Elders, they are still within Mount Yanfu." Lingfengzi and Canglong exchanged a glance, after which the former released a pitch-black boat without hesitation. The boat touched the water and rapidly expanded, growing large enough to carry roughly ten people in the blink of an eye. Luotian Sect's hastily assembled relief force consisted of only seven people in total, leaving more than enough room for everyone aboard. Remarkably, this pitch-black vessel could travel freely through the Ming Water. The hazy glow radiating around its hull actually repelled the defilement of the Ming Water. Watching from the side, Canglong marveled, "I tasted the dread of the Ming Water back when I returned years ago. Without the help of the Black Tortoise, crossing the Netherworld Abyss was simply impossible. To think there is an odd treasure capable of achieving the exact same effect!" Lingfengzi chuckled. "Elder Bai salvaged this treasure years ago while scavenging through the ruins of the Minyuan Sect in the Netherworld Abyss. It was likely meant for crossing the abyss originally. However, this Nether-Crossing Boat demands an enormous amount of Dharmic power. Even with my cultivation, I could not rely on it to traverse the entire Netherworld Abyss." "I see!" Canglong nodded, then swept her gaze toward the distant depths. For tens of thousands of years, the vast Netherworld Abyss had not only suppressed countless specters and fierce ghosts, but had also swallowed the Minyuan Sect whole. That had been a sacred land of Deity Transformation! No matter how foul the Ming Water was, some bizarre artifacts were bound to have survived. If the Luotian Sect could claim all such treasures, the sect's greatest deficiency—its heritage—would be substantially bolstered. Yet the Ming Water was utterly filthy. Even with the Black Tortoise and the Nether-Crossing Boat, the disciples of the Luotian Sect could not come and go as they pleased to explore the ruins of the Minyuan Sect. "If we truly can seize the Ming Water Springhead this time, none of that will be an issue anymore!" *He who holds the Ming Water Springhead commands the Netherworld Abyss!* No one knew if that rumor held true. Yet with the precedent of the Minyuan Sect before them, the Luotian Sect had to make the attempt, even if it meant committing their full strength. "Depart!" Small though the Nether-Crossing Boat was, it moved with astonishing speed. At Lingfengzi's command, it turned into a streak of flowing light, darting like a water arrow through the oceanic depths of the abyss. Once they completely left the boundaries of the Alchemy Saint Blessed Land, lesser ghosts gradually caught scent of them and swarmed in like moths to a flame. Piloting the boat, Lingfengzi could not afford any distraction. Canglong made no move either, merely observing with cold detachment. Min Longyu took the initiative and took charge, directing Gu Caiyi and the other three to deal with these lesser ghosts. Though the environment of the Netherworld Abyss was hardly suited for regular human cultivators to fight, the four of them were late Golden Core great cultivators after all; ordinary lesser ghosts posed little threat. Employing their respective arts, the Nether-Crossing Boat sailed forward unhindered. Roughly an incense stick's time later, the compass in Min Longyu's hand suddenly began to quiver violently. His expression shifted drastically as he gasped, "A Tier 4 Ghost Sovereign on par with the Nascent Soul realm is approaching! Elder Canglong..." Up ahead, Canglong raised a hand slightly, her poise calm and serene. "Keep advancing. Leave everything to me!" Soon, an immense plume of ghost mist came surging from east to west. Everywhere it passed, it swept up everything in its path. Specters and fierce ghosts of all sizes were dragged into it, radiating a truly terrifying aura. Yet a closer look revealed that this plume of ghost mist carried a faint sense of battered, frantic flight. The creature had clearly spotted the party aboard the Nether-Crossing Boat as well. After an initial moment of astonishment, it let out a sinister chuckle. "Jie-jie-jie... Such fresh blood food! Just what this old man needs to replenish himself!" Amidst the vicious laughter, the ghost mist swelled by another thirty percent, blotting out the sky as it crashed down toward the Nether-Crossing Boat. Dressed in white robes, Fairy Canglong stood tall at the bow, holding an exquisite pearl-inlaid sword that shone like a pool of autumn water. She serenely watched the ghost mist descend, then unleashed a slash. A cascade of sword light poured out like a waterfall. Facing this strike, the Tier 4 Ghost Sovereign showed no fear. "My ghost body coalesces and disperses without form! What can such flimsy sword light do to me?" Yet in the next instant, a frosty voice rang out. "Frozen in All Ten Directions!" Wherever the cascading sword light passed, vast swaths of Ming Water froze solid into ice, trapping large amounts of ghost mist within. The Tier 4 Ghost Sovereign was thrown into panic. Mustering its remaining strength, it forcibly shattered the ice and fled into the depths of the abyss without looking back. The crisis was instantly averted! A wave of cheers erupted aboard the Nether-Crossing Boat. Piloting the vessel, Lingfengzi could not help but praise, "Daoist Canglong, using substance to strike formlessness—truly marvelous!" Fairy Canglong, however, did not accept the compliment outright. She twirled her sword, looking down at the Canghai Zhenlong blade in her hand with a contemplative expression. "That Ghost Sovereign was already gravely wounded. Though his ghostly aura seemed overwhelming, he was merely blustering and hollow inside. Had he been at his peak, I could never have driven him back so easily. The fact that he could forcibly break out even after being trapped by my Profound Ice Qi proves as much." Lingfengzi paused. "That creature was injured?" Canglong nodded heavily. "Yes, and severely so. Otherwise, he would never have been suppressed by my Profound Ice Qi!" Puzzled, Lingfengzi murmured, "Who could have wounded him so badly? Could it be..." The two exchanged a glance, and the joy of repelling a formidable enemy grew heavy once more. How could such a powerful Ghost Sovereign be so gravely wounded for no reason? It had to have been an even more extreme clash that reduced him to such a state. If it was Wang Yuan and Bai Meiling, how were they faring after a battle of that magnitude? "We cannot simply react to whatever comes anymore!" Canglong muttered under her breath, then produced the storage bag Li Yingzhang had handed her before their departure in front of everyone. Patting it with her fair hand, she sent several incantation seals into it. In the next instant! A powerful aura diffused uncontrollably. Everyone was startled. Lingfengzi felt it most acutely, and his face changed drastically. "Late Nascent Soul!" "Since when did the Luotian Sect possess such a trump card?" Canglong offered no explanation and simply issued an order. "Pick up the speed. We charge straight into Mount Yanfu shortly, and I will clear the path!" As she spoke, several supreme-grade spirit stones dropped into her hand, primed and ready. *** On the western flank of Mount Yanfu lay a clear, empty space. The Ghost Sovereign had fled from this very spot just moments ago. As time passed following his departure, countless low-tier ghosts converged once more from every direction, seeking to enter Mount Yanfu. Suddenly! The specters and vengeful ghosts snapped their heads back in unison, looking toward the abyss behind them. Greeting them was a beam of blazing white light that ripped through everything, sweeping clean the realm. *Hiss!* The blazing white beam arrived with terrifying speed and sheer ferocity. In the blink of an eye, it not only eradicated all the specters and fierce ghosts, but its lingering might even surged straight into Mount Yanfu. Aboard the Nether-Crossing Boat, Lingfengzi's eyelids twitched furiously at the sight. A colossal white tiger puppet was slowly closing its jaws, stiff clicking sounds issuing repeatedly from its mouth. The supreme-grade spirit stone embedded in its forehead had lost nearly half its spiritual power from that single strike. Furthermore, Fairy Canglong's Dharmic fluctuations dipped for an instant as she operated the White Tiger puppet. Shock flitted through Canglong's eyes as well. Was this the trump card Luo Chen had left for the Luotian Sect before his departure? A puppet on par with the late Nascent Soul stage! Wherever had he obtained it? Moreover, the control method he left behind felt remarkably familiar to her, as though it originated from the Luoyun Sect's lineage. Could this puppet have something to do with her old friend Han Zhan? Having witnessed the puppet's devastating strike firsthand, myriad thoughts flashed through Canglong's mind before she pointed her sword forward. "Into the mountain!" The Nether-Crossing Boat transformed into a streak of light, charging straight into Mount Yanfu. Not long after, however, its forward rush came to an abrupt halt. *** *Boom!* A terrifying white beam came blasting through the mountain, crashing into the massive seal blocking its path and setting it quivering incessantly. "A powerful foe approaches!" Deng Taiyue recalled the Xuanhuang Great Seal with one hand, his face solemn as he called out a warning without looking back. To his surprise, Luo Chen's voice behind him remained as calm as ever. "No matter. They are my sect members." Deng Taiyue froze. The intensity of that attack just now was practically comparable to a strike from an ordinary Great Cultivator. Did the Luotian Sect conceal an expert of this caliber? In the next instant, he saw a gigantic white tiger bounding wildly up from outside the mountain, carrying seven figures upon its back. Deng Taiyue's eyes widened abruptly. A late Nascent Soul puppet? The moment the White Tiger puppet stepped onto the ground, it ground to a halt, carving two deep craters into the earth. The figures riding atop it instantly relaxed, their anxious hearts giving way to sheer astonishment and delight. Together, they flew down from the puppet's back. "Master!" "It's the Supreme Elder!" "The Supreme Elder has returned!" "Senior Brother Luo Chen, it has been too long!" Luo Chen nodded. "Lingfengzi, I haven't seen you in years, and your cultivation has progressed considerably!" Lingfengzi collected his astonishment and waved modestly. "The spiritual energy in the blessed land is rich; such progress is hardly worth mentioning." Though he spoke humbly, the faint curl at the corner of his lips betrayed his inner pride. He had been trapped in the early Nascent Soul stage for three hundred years, held back both by aptitude and by the toll of the human-demon war. Yet after entering the Alchemy Saint Blessed Land and cultivating in seclusion for several decades, his bitter perseverance had finally borne fruit, allowing him to break through to the fourth layer of the Nascent Soul realm and step into the mid stage. Along the Great Dao, a sliver of hope yet remained! Luo Chen smiled, his gaze shifting to the gentle woman in the white dress. Canglong was the first to speak. "Have you finished your business?" "It was settled long ago. If not for an unexpected complication, I would have returned years earlier," Luo Chen explained briefly. Then, looking Canglong up and down until she grew slightly self-conscious, he remarked thoughtfully, "Your realm has not yet fully stabilized. Why have you come out to battle?" Canglong brushed a strand of hair from her cheek and answered candidly, "This battle concerns the future prosperity and decline of the Luotian Sect. Naturally, I must do my part." Luo Chen raised an eyebrow, his eyes sweeping over Canglong, Lingfengzi, and the excited cultivators behind them, lingering for a moment on the silent Gu Caiyi. During his absence, the Luotian Sect's cohesion had clearly deepened even further. Li Yingzhang was doing a fine job as Sect Master! "Master, the Ming Water Springhead..." Tianxuan could not help speaking up, but Luo Chen raised a hand to cut her off. "I already know the specifics from Xiao Bai." At those words, everyone was put at ease. Seeing how composed their Supreme Elder remained, it was clear everything was still within his control. Luo Chen turned, pointing toward Deng Taiyue as he solemnly made introductions. "True Person Taiyue, Sect Master of the Taishan Sect. You must have heard of his renowned name; he is also a good friend of mine. He has come this time to lend our Luotian Sect a helping hand." "Greetings, True Person Taiyue!" The Luotian Sect cultivators bowed in unison, observing full etiquette. Lingfengzi, who already knew him, chimed in with a greeting of his own. Canglong formally announced her identity, prefixing her name as an Elder of the Luotian Sect. Only now did True Person Taiyue recover from the shock delivered by the White Tiger puppet. Acknowledging the greetings of the Luotian Sect juniors, he could not help but sigh in admiration once more. "The world knows only Brother Luo's fame as an Alchemy Master and his might in slaying demons, never imagining you possess such astonishing talent in managing a sect as well." His praise came straight from the heart. The Luotian Sect was at best an ordinary sect founded a mere three hundred years ago, possessing virtually no heritage to speak of. Yet in this brief encounter, he had witnessed three Nascent Soul True Persons, a body-refinement expert, and a Tier 4 Ghost Sovereign. Oh, not to mention that thoroughly obedient desolate beast Black Tortoise, and the two newly advanced Nascent Soul cultivators left behind in the Desolate City of Shangyou! Such a lineup, even placed in the Eastern Desolation during its peak, would rival top-tier supreme sects like the Five Elements Divine Sect and the Tiandu Sect. Even if some of them were outsiders recruited into the fold like Lingfengzi rather than disciples raised from within, late Golden Core juniors like Gu Caiyi, Tianxuan, and Ye Suifeng proved beyond doubt that the Luotian Sect's succession had suffered no gap. By contrast, his Taishan Sect, which he had neglected over the years in his single-minded pursuit of bitter cultivation, paled dreadfully in comparison. And that disparity, in his eyes, did not stem from the talent of their disciples, but from the difference between the two leaders, himself and Luo Chen. He truly was inferior to Luo Chen! Facing this praise, Luo Chen smiled faintly, neither claiming credit nor making excuses. He merely turned to look up Mount Yanfu. Along its slopes and up toward its summit, ghostly energy churned to the heavens amidst gusting yin winds. The wailing of ghosts and howling of specters remained distinctly audible even from a hundred li away. This battle concerned the rise and fall of the Luotian Sect, rivaling the Defense of Danxia and the Battle of Baili Qingchuan. Yet the adversaries they faced this time far exceeded anything in the past. Even so, there was not the slightest trace of fear in Luo Chen's eyes. "Since we're already here, let's head up and see!"