After fully departing from the Libei Continent, the Frost Eagle Shuttle was deployed once again.
As before, Xiao Bai piloted the vessel.
She was somewhat perplexed, however, and took a spare moment to ask Luo Chen, "Master, do you no longer need me to return to the Tiannan Continent to watch over and protect your avatar?"
Lost in thought, Luo Chen answered without looking up, "No need."
"But..."
Aware of the doubts in her heart, Luo Chen raised his head and said calmly, "He has already reached the Golden Core stage and has ample ability to protect himself. What is more, the Tiannan Dao Palace is his best Dao protector. You cannot get near the Dao Palace anyway, so staying there serves little purpose."
Xiao Bai came to a sudden realization.
During the intervening twenty years of watching Zhou Fuyou, she had indeed not accomplished much.
With her realm, she might fool ordinary cultivators, but the Tiannan Dao Palace was teeming with experts; she could not set foot inside at all.
Safeguarding Zhou Fuyou in secret until he reached the Golden Core realm was already more than enough.
Then Luo Chen's faint, somber voice sounded by her ear once more.
"Most importantly, Fu Qinglan has already seen you."
Luo Chen sighed. He still did not understand why his avatar had chosen to apprentice under Fu Qinglan.
Could there truly be karmic ties working in the unseen realm?
Back then, he had served as Fu Qinglan's Dao protector; now, Fu Qinglan was imparting the Dao to "him."
Yet Luo Chen knew that Fu Qinglan was an exceptionally astute woman. Merely from the traces he had left behind in God Burial Valley and the matter of the Black King, she had already faintly deduced his hostile intentions toward the Tianyuan Dao Sect.
If Xiao Bai remained exposed on the Tiannan Continent, Fu Qinglan would inevitably make deeper connections.
After all, the Zhou family from which Zhou Fuyou hailed had traveled to the Central Plains alongside Luo Chen back then and joined the Star Gate together with him.
Amid his quiet sigh, Luo Chen retrieved a token.
Xiao Bai glanced at it curiously. "Master, what is this?"
Luo Chen explained, "Li Canghai gave it to me. The terrain of the Arctic Yama Heavens was severely ravaged during the battle that destroyed the Yuan Demon Sect. Later, two peerless grand arrays were laid down in succession by the Ancestor of the Soul Refining Lineage and Li Canghai to seal off its interior. Even though most of the demon beasts trapped inside have escaped, those two grand arrays remain fully active. If I wish to enter the Arctic Yama Heavens with ease, I need Li Canghai's token."
Xiao Bai nodded, but a look of puzzlement soon crossed her face.
"That senior seemed quite friendly toward you, Master, didn't he?"
"Friendly?" The corners of Luo Chen's mouth curled slightly as he let out a low chuckle laced with subtle derision.
Xiao Bai was baffled. On the surface, at least, the two of them had appeared to get along quite amicably!
Yet in Luo Chen's eyes, that ostensibly friendly meeting had been far from harmonious.
From the very beginning, Li Canghai had been disinclined to meet outsiders, which was why he had deployed the Mist-Concealing Mind-Befuddling Grand Array.
Even when Luo Chen forced his way in and demanded his spiritual pet, the Black King, Li Canghai had been far from welcoming.
The shift in his attitude had stemmed entirely from that single exchange of blows between them.
Only after Luo Chen used grandmaster-level Crimson Firmament Sword Qi to take a strike from a Transformation God cultivator head-on did Li Canghai truly begin to take him seriously!
In the cultivation world, the weak were meat for the strong, and strength reigned supreme—a truth vividly illustrated just moments before.
It was strength that earned Li Canghai's acknowledgment, granting Luo Chen the qualification to converse with him as an equal. And it was because Luo Chen laid bare the fact of Li Canghai's designs against the Tianyuan Dao Sect that the two became strategic allies, allowing them to laugh and chat with ease.
Even then, it could only be counted as regard, not true friendliness.
What truly marked the beginning of friendliness came only after the matter of the Spirit Nurturing Pill recipe.
Li Canghai had used that as a test to confirm Luo Chen's alchemy attainments, and only then had he felt a genuine inclination to form ties.
If Luo Chen truly succeeded in advancing to the Transformation God realm in the future, then no Transformation God mighty figure would ever willingly antagonize an alchemist on par with an Alchemy Saint.
The information that the Arctic Yama Heavens contained vast amounts of nine heavens firmament qi was Li Canghai's gesture of goodwill and an investment in Luo Chen.
"He sought to win my favor, but he also feared that without this ultimate trump card, I would lack the strength to face the Tianyuan Dao Sect in the future!"
Thinking this quietly to himself, Luo Chen retired to a chamber in the center of the shuttle.
Once settled in silence, Luo Chen chanted the Moonlight Heart-Clearing Incantation to calm his spirit and focus his mind. His divine sense slowly sank into his purple mansion.
The Nascent Soul, identical in appearance to Luo Chen, opened its eyes at the same moment.
Across the surface of the Nascent Soul's body lay a thick, sturdy armor etched with ancient, natural patterns, resembling the shell of a giant tortoise that had lived through countless eras.
In the Nascent Soul's hands rested a small scarlet sword.
A fuller ran along the blade, upon which a strange gleam flickered and pulsed from time to time.
Because of that strange gleam, the nearby fire spirits of the Wither-Bloom Divine Fire and the Nirvana Holy Fire were reluctant to draw near, seemingly repulsed by it.
The sword was Yuantu, and upon closer inspection, that gleam was a sharp seed resembling the awn of a wheat stalk.
A sword seed!
It was a sword seed that had suddenly coalesced once the Myriad Firmaments Myriad Transformations Sword Scripture reached grandmaster level.
Even after Luo Chen had completely exhausted all his Crimson Firmament Sword Qi in his confrontation with Li Canghai, this sword seed had remained intact.
Now, as Luo Chen's Nascent Soul circulated and breathed magic power, the sword seed spun round and round, actually generating wisp after wisp of Crimson Firmament Sword Qi once more!
If the creator of the Myriad Firmaments Myriad Transformations Sword Scripture were to witness this, their eyes would surely widen and their jaw would hit the floor in disbelief.
A sword art originally designed to expend immense quantities of sword qi in a single burst to achieve power rivaling divine abilities had, in Luo Chen's hands, acquired the capacity to regenerate endlessly and continuously!
Upon seeing the newly generated Crimson Firmament Sword Qi, the miniature Nascent Soul showed a remarkably human smile.
That clash with Li Canghai had truly yielded tremendous gains!
Not only had he made an ally and gauged his current strength, but most importantly, he had tested and proven the purpose of the Thousand Firmaments Sword Seed!
"May this trip to the Yama Heavens yield worthwhile rewards as well!"
...
During the journey, Luo Chen did not solely immerse himself in cultivation; he also summoned the Black King to inquire about the current state of the Northern Sea.
Back then, the Black King had narrowly escaped from the Southern Oceans and eventually returned to the Northern Sea.
"First, I went to the Feiyan Archipelago to take a look. Master, that Dao companion of yours is still alive and well. Her realm is neither high nor low, around the third layer of the Golden Core."
"After that, I followed the route in my memories back to the home of my youth."
"Along the way, I captured a few third-rank demon kings and got a general sense of the situation in the Northern Sea. It's actually quite complicated, and demon kings of that level don't know much."
"At first, the Northern Sea Demon Alliance launched a massive invasion of the human cultivation world. Because that old fellow Li Canghai was indifferent and offered no resistance, vast swathes of territory were occupied by the demons. Many cultivators were forced to flee westward, and the demon race enjoyed a period of soaring ascendancy."
"But once the Tianyuan Dao Sect's grand host arrived in the Northern Sea, the situation underwent an earth-shaking reversal."
"The Dao Sect's powerhouses were simply too formidable, sweeping away all before them wherever they went. Aided by old man Li's Canghai Righteous Path Alliance acting as local collaborators, in just thirty years, fully eighty percent of the vast Northern Sea fell into the Dao Sect's hands."
"The few human cultivation territories still held by the demons were the Myriad Immortals Association where we once lived together, along with the sea territory of the Yuan Demon Sect's former mountain gate."
"Had things continued on that course, the Tianyuan Dao Sect unifying the Northern Sea would have been an absolute certainty. It might not even have been impossible for them to launch a counteroffensive into the demon seas and bring the entire Northern Sea into their fold. But afterward..."
What happened afterward was known to the entire realm.
Monarch Qixia launched an assault on the Central Plains, nearly wiping out the Tianyuan Dao Sect and forcing the Dao Sect cultivators dispersed across the four continents to pull back in force to mount a defense.
Even the Northern Sea cultivation world, eighty percent of which had already fallen under their control, was decisively abandoned.
Whether they returned to defend the Dao Sect or to vie for power and spoils, Luo Chen did not know. The only thing he knew was that the Northern Sea cultivation world was now plunged into the most chaotic era in its history.
Today, the Northern Sea cultivation world was even called the Sea of Chaos.
Li Canghai, the sole human almighty cultivator, did not involve himself in affairs at all, and had even tacitly forged some form of unspoken understanding with the two ancient demons of the Northern Sea.
The cultivators and demon beasts down below carved out their own territories to build up their strength, attacking one another until an interwoven, chaotic, and perilous situation emerged where territories and factions overlapped completely.
If the forebears of the Yuan Demon Sect who had once pioneered the Northern Sea cultivation world knew of this state of affairs, they would likely turn in their graves—or rise straight out of them in fury.
The immense foundation built with painstaking effort had degraded to such a state.
Then again, perhaps they wouldn't turn in their graves at all—who was to say they were even dead rather than alive and well in the Immortal Realm?
Luo Chen did not care about the Northern Sea cultivation world's plight. In his eyes, distinctions between races were ultimately secondary. All living things had spirits, and upon cultivating to higher realms, all were seekers pursuing the Great Dao. Had he spare strength, he would naturally shield one corner of the world. Clearly, however, he possessed little excess power to spare at present.
What concerned him now was news regarding the Arctic Yama Heavens.
Back then, taking advantage of the opening of the Land of the Fallen Demon, the Northern Sea Demon Alliance had channeled the power of the Sunken Sea into the Arctic Yama Heavens, rupturing a corner of the grand array laid by the two almighty figures and making good their escape.
Yet that did not mean they had completely abandoned the Northern Sea's most quintessential cultivation land.
From the closest demonic sect portal, Taohai Immortal City, to the more distant Dragon Taming Mountain Range's Myriad Immortals Association, all fell under the demons' control.
This included the Three Oceans Defensive Line lying in between!
"Master, the Myriad Immortals Association and the Three Oceans Defensive Line aside, entering the Arctic Yama Heavens requires passing through the Taohai Ruined City. I'm afraid it won't be easy!" the Black King said, though an eager glint shone blatantly in its eyes.
It had already learned from Xiao Bai about Luo Chen's exploits in the Western Desert—joining forces with the demoness Qingshuang to defeat a host of Buddhist experts—and wished desperately that it had been there to see it.
Now, seeing that Luo Chen could even clash on equal terms with that old man Li Canghai, his strength had clearly taken another leap forward.
Why not go on a killing spree this time when charging into the Yama Heavens?
It would also vent the pent-up frustration of recent days.
Yet Luo Chen merely glanced at it indifferently and snapped in annoyance, "Don't stir up trouble for no reason. I don't feel like fighting lately."
"Oh."
Its fervor quenched, the Black King sprawled listlessly across the floor.
...
Taohai City!
Once the gateway to the Yuan Demon Sect, it had been called an Immortal City.
Later, after a catastrophic war, it had become a Ruined City.
And now, with hordes of demon beasts entrenched within, in the mouths of countless cultivators it had become an out-and-out Demon City.
While remnant treasures still lingered inside, no cultivator dared harbor improper thoughts, for entrenched here were not only low-tier demon beasts, but also terrifying Great Demon Emperors.
Within the Taohai Demon City, at the site of the former City Lord's estate, solemn chanting and recitation of Buddhist scriptures now echoed forth from time to time.
If one stepped closer, one would find brilliant Buddhist light and solemn, majestic iconography, as though it were a Buddhist temple.
Such an edifice was utterly out of place in this demon city.
Yet not a single demon beast dared voice objection, for the being residing within was the mightiest expert in the demon city today—Demon Monk Kongchan!
The Demon Monk Kongchan was by origin a humanoid demon beast quite famous in the Northern Sea known as a sutra-chanting monk.
Born with the ability to understand human speech, they possessed a nature that was both exceptionally peaceful and exceptionally cruel.
This Demon Monk Kongchan was the foremost among the sutra-chanting monk clan. Not only had he successfully taken human form, but he had also cultivated to the late Nascent Soul stage, making him a true Great Demon Emperor in every sense!
At this moment, inside the Buddhist hall, Kongchan quietly chanted Buddhist scriptures, his fingers continuously turning a string of prayer beads.
When footsteps sounded from outside the hall, his movements slowly ceased.
"Fellow Daoists, you have finally arrived!"
Two figures stepped into the Buddhist hall.
One wore blue robes and had blue hair, possessed handsome features, and radiated an uncanny aura.
The other wore wide robes with voluminous sleeves, had broad shoulders and a stout build, and wore a genial smile.
Kongchan turned around, remaining seated on his prayer mat as he looked at the two.
"Liu Jun, Taisui, long time no see!"
The two also bowed to Kongchan and each selected a prayer mat to sit on.
Kongchan looked at Taisui, a trace of approval surfacing on his face. "The body you possessed seems to suit you quite well, Fellow Daoist. In a mere century, you have already broken through to the Nascent Soul stage once again."
Taisui gave a cold snort and did not respond.
This human body with an Ultimate Wood Spiritual Root seemed to suit him well, but in reality, it was mediocre at best.
It was far inferior to that desolate beast vessel he had set his sights on back then.
Unfortunately, not only had that body escaped, but it had also snatched away his true form in the process.
Now, having spent a century just to barely form a Nascent Soul, it was truly pathetic.
Kongchan then looked toward the blue-robed, blue-haired man. "Liu Jun, how are things on your end?"
Shark Emperor Liu Jun shook his head and sighed. "It is difficult. Guiding the power of the Sunken Sea into the Yama Heavens was simple, but drawing it back is by no means something that Nascent Soul demon cultivators like us can easily achieve."
"Even if it is difficult, it must be done!" Taisui ground his teeth. "The Land of the Fallen Demon opens only once every three hundred years, and the condition for its opening is the absorption of sufficient spiritual opportunity. The Sunken Sea is a crucial link in the array formations there. If that power cannot be channeled back, let alone three hundred years, I fear it won't open even after five hundred or a thousand years!"
With that, Taisui swept his gaze over the two of them.
"Do you truly feel no longing for the legacy left behind by a Void Refining True Monarch?"
This question caused the breathing of both Demon Emperors to quicken noticeably.
Shark Emperor Liu Jun in particular had entered once before and knew full well how many treasures lay within, and how many pristine locations remained unexplored by outsiders.
Demon Monk Kongchan reined in his mind and asked calmly, "Is there truly a method to achieve Transformation God within?"
Taisui sneered. "If you don't believe me, do you not believe Liu Jun? Or could it be that you don't even believe the intelligence that Duoyuan Longzong, who remained behind inside, has already achieved Transformation God?"
Duoyuan Longzong!
That was a renowned powerhouse among the demon race. Back then, they had ventured into the Land of the Fallen Demon together, though he had unfortunately failed to escape.
Yet according to Taisui's intelligence, Duoyuan Longzong had already advanced to the Transformation God realm inside!
Shark Emperor Liu Jun nodded. "It is true. The reason he chose to remain in the Five Elements Heaven's Yue Canglan back then was that he sensed the origin power of water within it. Whether he was assimilated or truly achieved comprehension, there is bound to be an opportunity to achieve Transformation God."
Having this confirmed once again, a look of greed flashed in Demon Monk Kongchan's eyes.
In the Northern Sea today, there were only two ancient demons.
If he could use the Land of the Fallen Demon to advance to the Transformation God realm, he would stand shoulder to shoulder with the two almighty figures, Great Sage Beili and the Sea Emperor Whale.
Yet an obstacle lay squarely before them.
The two grand arrays laid by the Ancestor of the Soul Refining Lineage and Li Canghai were both formations exceedingly difficult to enter or exit. Relying on just the three of them, how could they possibly channel back the power of the Sunken Sea and open the Land of the Fallen Demon early?
Just as they were wrestling with this dilemma, Demon Monk Kongchan's expression suddenly shifted, and he looked up toward the depths of Taohai City.
There, a halo of light rippled outward, and a gateway seemed to open in the void.
"Someone is forcing their way through the Arctic Monster-Sealing Grand Array!"
"Who is it?"
"I don't know, but few in this world dare to force their way through such a grand array. The last one was that madman!"
"Never mind who it is—seize the chance, we're going in too!"
Without hesitation, the three transformed into streaks of light and shot straight toward the closing portal.
Chapter 1053