In the azure firmament.
A black-robed Daoist sat cross-legged. Before him stood a large, quiet black urn.
Man and urn sat still for a long time, as if waiting for something.
Suddenly!
"It's here!"
Luo Chen's eyes flashed with sharp brilliance as he looked into the distance.
A swarm of multicolored flying insects flapped their wings from the east, shrieking as they surged in this direction.
These were empyrean insects, also known as rosy cloud beasts in the cultivation world.
Yet Luo Chen's goal right now was not them, but their food!
Before the flying insects, a wisp of purple qi wove through space, roaming freely within the azure firmament.
When it drew within ten li of Luo Chen, he pressed a hand against the large black urn.
"Get in!"
The urn hummed and trembled. Instantly, a powerful suction arose, sweeping that wisp of firmament qi inside in the blink of an eye.
Having lost their quarry, the swarm of empyrean insects flew into a rage, fixing their sights squarely on Luo Chen.
These creatures were not to be trifled with.
They were true overlords of the azure firmament. Although they possessed little intelligence and an individual insect was not particularly formidable, when gathered together, even a Nascent Soul True Person dared not lightly brave their vanguard.
Once surrounded, no matter what defensive measures one possessed, they would be gnawed to nothing.
Seeing that he was about to be encircled, Luo Chen showed no panic on his face, only a faint smile.
In the next instant!
Bang!
The void exploded with a roar, and dazzling flames flared.
By the time the sparks scattered, Luo Chen was no longer where he had been.
The swarm of empyrean insects hovered in place, bewildered. Their food was gone, and their enemy had vanished as well.
Dozens of li away, fire bloomed and sparks danced, gradually revealing an upright, towering figure standing like a sharp sword poised to pierce the heavens.
It was none other than Luo Chen!
"Combining Airburst Step with Fire Evasion—the distance of an instant burst is actually this far! I wonder how my Airburst Fire Evasion compares to Qingshuang's Void Evasion Divine Art?"
Luo Chen murmured to himself with a chuckle, halting in his tracks.
Ever since forming the bond of the Shared Life and Death Gu with Qingshuang, although he still could not draw upon her cultivation through the fifth-rank Gu, he had indeed gained an acquired affinity for space.
Thus, during his twenty years of hunting firmament qi, he had tried merging his self-created Airburst Step with Fire Evasion.
One was an extreme burst of physical strength, while the other was the masterful application of the Fire Origin. Combined with his heightened spatial sensitivity, Luo Chen could now teleport dozens of li in a single instant!
This had also become his supreme technique for shaking off the ambushes of empyrean insects.
After sighing with emotion, Luo Chen looked down at the large urn in his hand.
Another wisp of Purple Firmament Qi captured!
He was yet another step closer to advancing the Thousand Heavens Myriad Transformations Sword Scripture from the Master stage to Great Perfection.
"Still, I'm quite far off!"
Though it was merely the final level, it required the sum total of all the proficiency from earlier stages combined.
What restricted Luo Chen from refining Crimson Firmament Sword Qi now was no longer time, but the quantity of firmament qi.
Five hundred wisps remaining!
Searching aimlessly on his own in the azure firmament, who knew how long gathering so much firmament qi would take?
If the opportunity to reclaim his life soul appeared before the Thousand Heavens Myriad Transformations Sword Scripture reached Great Perfection, he would simply have to give it up.
After all, his current Master-stage Crimson Firmament Sword Qi was already more than sufficient.
At least from Luo Chen's tests, the destructive power of this technique was already superior to the fourth-rank Fire Phoenix Ignites the Plains at Great Perfection, and not inferior to the fully deployed Great Five Elements Sword Formation.
Moreover, compared to the cumbersome setup of the Great Five Elements Sword Formation, Crimson Firmament Sword Qi could be unleashed at will, making it vastly faster.
Using it against a Soul Formation mighty expert should serve as a regular combat technique... right?
Luo Chen was not entirely sure, as he had never truly clashed with a Soul Formation mighty expert.
Which techniques could contend with such existences, and which could threaten their lives, remained mere estimations for him.
Right now, he did not know what level his own strength truly occupied.
Ordinary Nascent Soul True Persons could not withstand a single exchange from him; even late Nascent Soul Great Cultivators who had been renowned for centuries could be annihilated with a flip of his hand.
Yet Soul Formation mighty experts were beings beyond easy fathoming.
All he could do for now was improve himself by any means necessary!
"Time to switch locations and continue catching firmament qi!"
Just as Luo Chen was about to set off, his heart suddenly stirred.
A jade ring appeared in his hand.
Luo Chen frowned slightly. Why was Xiao Bai transmitting a message at this time?
Unrolling the jade ring's message, the first line read: "Master, the Black King has appeared!"
Below it, to avoid wasting the second transmission opportunity, Xiao Bai had specially added a great deal of information regarding his clone, Zhou Fuyou.
News such as joining Tiannan Dao Palace, studying under Fu Qinglan of Houtu Hall, and advancing to the Golden Core stage at the age of forty with peerless natural talent.
Luo Chen did not pay much mind to any of that.
His focus remained fixed on the first piece of news.
"That dimwit is indeed still alive!"
Luo Chen chuckled. Setting aside the matter of gathering firmament qi for now, he pivoted and transformed into a streak of light, flying toward the Tiannan Continent.
...
Mount Liubo.
Three days had passed since Zhou Fuyou's arrival.
Unlike the occasional skirmishes he had envisioned, he had been run off his feet ever since his second day here.
Beginning on the second day, a vast horde of sea demons had landed from the ocean and attacked Mount Liubo.
Their sheer numbers dealt Mount Liubo a massive blow right from the start.
As a mobile unit, the twenty Foundation Establishment True Cultivators under Zhou Fuyou's command had split into five squads, frequently appearing across the battlefield to relieve the defensive cultivators from the beasts' onslaught.
Meanwhile, relying on his vast magic power, Zhou Fuyou moved freely across the eight hundred li of Mount Liubo.
Wherever he passed, low-rank demon beasts died upon contact.
Even third-rank demon kings!
On the frontal battlefield, the mountain protection formation began to crack. Zhou Yuwei's squad, arriving to reinforce, was also halted.
Then, looking toward the sea, demonic waves churned as three behemoths measuring forty to fifty zhang strode forward on seven or eight legs, charging in a rampage.
Such enormous bodies and overwhelming demonic qi struck everyone with terror.
"Third-rank demon kings, three of them!"
"It's Overlord Crabs!"
"We can't hold them, run!"
Just as panic gripped the crowd, the sky abruptly darkened.
Plumes of black currents surged out, blanketing the battlefield ahead. Every demon beast charging forward, including the three Overlord Crabs, was swallowed within.
The sight left everyone stunned.
They could not see what was happening inside the battlefield, only hearing agonized screech after screech.
Time ticked by.
As the screams gradually faded, a figure walked out. Behind him lay a swath of gore and a forest of white bones.
Sharp-eyed Lin Qingtong recognized the newcomer at first glance.
"It's Cousin!"
The others cheered one after another.
"Senior Zhou is here! We're saved!"
"All the demon beasts are dead!"
"The frontal battlefield held!"
Zhou Fuyou's white robes fluttered, unsoiled by even a drop of blood, as he drifted down before the crowd.
He said in a deep voice:
"Replenish the formation and reorganize the defense line. Do not let the demon beasts push up. If you encounter large beast tides, release a signal for help!"
Everyone echoed their assent.
Zhou Fuyou walked over to the four-person squad. Looking at the panting Zhou Yuwei and the others, he asked calmly, "Is everyone all right?"
Zhou Yuwei shook her head. She had merely overexerted her spiritual energy and her meridians could not bear it for the moment; she would recover with a brief rest.
The only injured member of the four was Zhou Yuqi.
He had the poorest aptitude and had reached Foundation Establishment most recently. During the battle just now, even his high-grade magical artifact had been destroyed, and the spiritual backlash from the severed mental link had shaken him severely.
Looking at Zhou Fuyou—who had checked the beast tide with one hand and eradicated three Overlord Crabs with the other—Zhou Yuqi wore an intensely complicated expression.
His childhood friend had long since left him far behind; the gap between them was like heaven and earth.
Lin Qingtong, however, looked at Zhou Fuyou with star-struck eyes full of adoration.
"Cousin, you are amazing!"
"Amazing?" Zhou Fuyou shook his head. "They're merely a pack of low-rank sea demons fighting by instinct. Once on land, their strength is greatly diminished. Do not fight them head-on; keep moving and wear them down, and you can defeat them with ease."
Is that so?
Lin Qingtong and the other three pondered his words.
Zhou Fuyou had not muted his voice, so nearby cultivators could hear him clearly as well.
They had been stationed here for a long time and naturally knew these tactics, but putting them into practice on a chaotic battlefield was far from simple.
Besides, you, Zhou Fuyou, didn't use hit-and-run tactics just now at all—you flattened them with raw frontal force!
From afar came a hearty laugh as a figure flew over.
"Fellow Daoist Zhou, you are far too modest. Leaving aside low-rank demon beasts fighting on instinct, those three Overlord Crabs were mid-stage third-rank demon kings, yet none could withstand even a single blow from you. Tsk tsk, such ability surely ranks among the best even among your peers in the Dao Palace!"
Zhou Fuyou looked at the newcomer. "So it is Fellow Daoist Ji."
Master Jidu glanced over the battlefield and subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.
"Fortunately, you arrived first, stabilized the defense line, and prevented this wave of demon beasts from swarming Mount Liubo. Leave the rest to me; Fellow Daoist Zhou, continue reinforcing wherever help is needed."
Zhou Fuyou nodded, turned with the four-person squad, and departed.
Today's beast tide was too ferocious, far exceeding expectations.
And this was Mount Liubo, a relatively remote and safe outpost. If this was happening here, what kind of danger were Second Senior Brother and the others facing at their posts?
Master had probably instructed Second Senior Brother to look after him, which was why he had been assigned to Mount Liubo.
Still, if the beasts assaulting the defense line were only at this level...
The corners of Zhou Fuyou's mouth twitched slightly; his face held little panic or fear.
Possessing vast magic power and relying on the spell Qi Sea Floating Heaven, he was practically a lethal engine of destruction on such a battlefield, with no need to worry for his life.
Just as Zhou Fuyou was calculating silently, his retreating steps suddenly froze.
"Cousin, what's wrong?"
Lin Qingtong admired and adored her cousin, keeping her eyes on him constantly. Seeing him stop abruptly, she had no idea what was happening.
Zhou Fuyou stiffly turned around and peered into the distance from the foot of the mountain.
The view was blurry, but he could vaguely make out a wave resembling a city wall pushing forward from a hundred li away.
He swallowed hard and shouted shrilly, "Flee!"
With that, without waiting for the others, he shot into the sky and reached the summit of Mount Liubo.
Looking out, the city wall formed by the sea wave stood thousands of zhang tall, rolling forward and crushing everything in its path.
Islands several li across were submerged and vanished; ancient reef stones were ground to dust; even the low-rank sea demons in front were swept into it, turned into waves of bloody froth.
It moved too fast—a distance of a hundred li closed almost in an instant.
There was no escape!
Zhou Fuyou watched helplessly as the frontal defense line, freshly reorganized only moments ago, disintegrated in an instant.
Master Jidu transformed into a streak of light, rocketing into the sky.
Yet his divine sense was not as keen as Zhou Fuyou's; by the time he noticed, it was too late, and even his escape was a beat behind.
The streak of light was helplessly swept into the thousand-zhang wall of water.
Zhou Fuyou's eyes nearly split with fury.
"I cannot die!"
Boom!
Qi Sea Floating Heaven manifested once more. Black currents enveloped the peak of Mount Liubo, and surging Ming Water poured forth, wrapping Zhou Fuyou tightly.
Instead of retreating, he advanced, hurtling toward the colossal tidal wall.
Boom!
Yet after just one collision, Zhou Fuyou was sent hurtling backward, crashing onto the peak of Mount Liubo.
Qi Sea Floating Heaven instantly dissipated.
And the towering tidal wall continued surging forward.
Right at that moment!
Buzz...
A sliver of green light emerged from Zhou Fuyou's body, transforming into a hand.
The palm was enormous, yet its five fingers were slender, conveying a delicate beauty.
The palm pressed slowly forward, printing itself onto the tidal wall.
The wave wall, thousands of zhang tall, came to a bizarre halt.
Then, before everyone's despairing eyes... Crash!
The tidal wall collapsed into pieces!
Torrential rain poured from the heavens, and the salty seawater receded back into the boundless ocean.
Zhou Fuyou stared blankly at the scene, murmuring, "Master."
Evidently, that green-glowing palm was a protective measure left behind by his master, Fairy Qinglan.
When had she placed it on him?
When he formed his core?
While Zhou Fuyou murmured and everyone rejoiced in survival—
A terrifying black silhouette, bearing a massive palm print upon its body, roared as it leapt from the ocean, thrashing its tail.
Dong!
More than half of the eight-hundred-li Mount Liubo collapsed in an instant.
Countless stone fragments shot forth like projectiles, tearing through cultivator silhouettes and splashing blooms of blood.
The terrifying silhouette seemed enraged—enraged that someone had blocked its advance, enraged that someone had used a divine ability to injure it.
Spewing hot breath, it drew near Zhou Fuyou, who had released the green-glowing palm earlier. Was it this ant of a fellow?
Antlers of a deer, head of a camel, eyes of a hare, neck of a snake.
Majestic horns, whiskers like billowing smoke.
It was a dragon!
A true dragon!
Facing the black dragon's cruel gaze, Zhou Fuyou's soul trembled so violently he could hardly maintain control.
Any title of Dao Palace true disciple, any label of a once-in-a-millennium prodigy, shattered completely at this moment.
A genius who had not yet grown was forever merely a genius, never a powerhouse!
This dragon was capable of annihilating everything!
Suddenly, a figure surfaced within his fear.
"I cannot die!"
"I cannot die here!"
"Little Sister is still waiting for me to return!"
In a silent roar, Zhou Fuyou's eyes widened. He met the black dragon's cruel gaze without backing down.
Illusion Art: Mirror Flower, Water Moon!
This was Zhou Fuyou's final struggle. He did not seek to kill the beast, only to win a chance to escape.
As for whether it would succeed, that depended entirely on whether the opponent's divine soul foundation was strong enough.
Pushing the art with all his might, Zhou Fuyou's face instantly went pale, and blood seeped from all seven facial orifices.
The instant the spell was cast, Zhou Fuyou did not hesitate for a second. He dropped straight from the heights, plunging into the sea.
Unfurling the Water Evasion technique, he vanished into the boundless ocean.
Upon the summit of Mount Liubo, the dragon lowered its head, a dazed look in its eyes.
An illusion of this caliber should have had zero effect on a creature that had absorbed the remnant soul of the Stone Dragon.
Yet for some reason, at that exact moment, it truly had been dazed.
From buried memories, the silhouette of a Daoist arose—a man who had cast this illusion art by its side countless times.
"Master..."
The black dragon murmured softly, its gaze tracking toward the ocean.
If it wished, being equally adept at water evasion, it could easily catch up to that little fellow.
Yet the black dragon halted.
Puff! Puff!
Snorting two jets of air from its nostrils, the black dragon slowly retreated from Mount Liubo, swimming through adjacent waters toward Zhenhai City.
Behind it followed millions of low-rank demon beasts.
Once it smashed through the Ninefold Zhenhai Sluicegates, these demon beasts could surge into Zhenhai City and slaughter their way onto the Tiannan Continent!
On Mount Liubo.
The surviving thousand-odd cultivators stared dumbfounded at the scene, not understanding what had just transpired.
The only thing they knew was that their lives had been spared!
Suddenly, a shrill scream rang out.
"Cousin!!!"
...
Inside Houtu Hall of the Tiannan Dao Palace.
Fairy Qinglan, who was in secluded cultivation, saw a flash of green light between her eyebrows and snapped her eyes open.
"The Great Heavenly Creation Palm I left behind was passively triggered so soon?"
"Fuyou and the others have encountered a peril beyond their ability to resist!"
Exhaling a breath of turbid air, Fairy Qinglan rose to her feet and transformed into a streak of green light, flying into Tianyuan Temple.
"Senior Brother Zhan, I request permission to use the teleportation formation!"
Chapter 1048