The Bikong Peril Domain, which had sprawled across the heart of the Eastern Desolation cultivation world, abruptly vanished on this day.
The ubiquitous, biting metallic wind seemed as though it had never existed at all. The boundless layers of clouds parted, revealing clear, bright skies.
Gentle sunlight shone down upon the earth, and vegetation visibly sprang forth before the naked eye—full of vibrant life, a magnificent scene of all things flourishing together.
Only now was it truly the Bikong Region!
And all of these changes stemmed from the black-robed Daoist standing before the golden tiger.
Upon hearing Luo Chen introduce himself, Bohan Jun stood frozen, dazed.
"You are Senior Pill Sect?"
Luo Chen smiled faintly. "You know me?"
Bohan Jun nodded, then shook his head vigorously.
"Senior's renowned name resonates like thunder. Though I have never seen you, how could Bohan Jun fail to recognize you?"
By now, Luo Chen's name had long spread across the five continents and four seas; it was truly a case of 'who under heaven does not know you.'
Luo Chen chuckled and patted the golden tiger before him. Di Tu's body shrank suddenly down to roughly ten feet, and Luo Chen swung his leg over, mounting its back.
The golden tiger exhaled fierce astral qi, carrying Luo Chen up into the sky.
Drawing closer, Luo Chen cast a deliberate glance at the white eyebrows on the man's face.
Bohan Jun had never seen him, but Luo Chen had seen this man before.
A few years earlier, when passing by the Ancient Fireworks Islet, the Nascent Soul cultivator meditating in seclusion within was this very person.
"A rogue cultivator?"
Bohan Jun nodded, his gaze wandering continuously over the golden tiger.
Was this Great Demon Emperor the reason the Bikong Peril Domain had persisted for over a century?
And such a formidable being was willingly reduced to being the Pill Sect's mount? Just how mighty had the Pill Sect become?
Had he already achieved Spirit Transformation?
Luo Chen sighed with emotion. "For a rogue cultivator to achieve Nascent Soul is no easy feat. Fellow Daoist, your resolve in cultivation is truly unyielding."
A look of deep feeling appeared on Bohan Jun's face. Did Luo Chen's words not reflect his own thoughts?
He had risen from humble beginnings, relying on the tempering of the two-hundred-year human-demon war to lay a solid foundation bit by bit.
Moreover, after the war ended and the sects of the Eastern Desolation declined, several fourth-rank spiritual veins had been left neglected, finally giving him the conditions required to form his Nascent Soul.
Otherwise, no matter how extraordinary his talent, without the support of vital external resources, he likely never would have achieved the Nascent Soul Grand Dao.
"Senior..."
"Fellow Daoist, there is no need for that. This humble Daoist has not yet attained Spirit Transformation; I share the Nascent Soul realm with you. Addressing me as 'fellow Daoist' will suffice."
Bohan Jun stared blankly. Unable to see through Luo Chen's cultivation and seeing a formidable Great Demon Emperor like the golden tiger willingly submit as his mount, he had assumed Luo Chen had already reached Spirit Transformation.
To think...
The white-browed man's throat bobbed. *Doesn't that make him even more terrifying?!*
Bohan Jun exhaled a breath of turbid air and suddenly bowed deeply toward Luo Chen.
"Master Luo's great benevolence is something Bohan Jun will never forget!"
"Oh?"
Luo Chen was surprised, but then seemed to recall something and looked him over for a moment.
"When you formed your Nascent Soul, did you take one of my Nascent Soul Formation Pills?"
Bohan Jun nodded. "Yes. Back then, Master Taiyue held a grand auction, and the grand finale consisted of Master Luo's ten Nascent Soul Formation Pills. My luck was good, and I managed to secure one. Later, with more good fortune, I achieved the Nascent Soul realm."
"To win a Nascent Soul Formation Pill as a rogue Golden Core cultivator requires immense wealth already—how can you call it mere luck?" Luo Chen let out an amused laugh and waved his hand. "You purchased the pill with honest gold and silver. There is no debt of gratitude to speak of."
He said this, but any person or force that received Luo Chen's pills and genuinely thought that way would be fools.
Medicinal pills like the Nascent Soul Formation Pill—exceedingly rare and capable of greatly boosting the odds of forming a Nascent Soul—were often treasures money could not buy.
Even if one wished to buy one, it depended on whether anyone was willing to sell.
Without a Nascent Soul Formation Pill, the major sects could usually only rely on their secret arts to force a breakthrough.
When Luo Chen had produced ten Nascent Soul Formation Pills at once, it was undeniably an immense blessing to the Eastern Desolation cultivation world, whose strength had been depleted by the war.
This was especially true for a rogue cultivator like Bohan Jun, who lacked both cultivation grounds and supplementary pills.
However, since Luo Chen had said so, Bohan Jun could only etch the kindness into his heart.
"Are you heading to Lingtian Pass?"
"Yes. This journey is specifically to attend the Shouyang Dao Discussion hosted by Master Luo. However, I have no invitation, which is somewhat awkward."
"Haha, then just travel with me!"
Luo Chen gave a hearty laugh, seated atop the golden tiger, and headed toward Lingtian Pass.
Along the way, he chatted continuously with Bohan Jun.
As a rogue cultivator, the man felt quite lost regarding cultivation in the Nascent Soul realm now that he had formed it. With time to spare, Luo Chen offered a few casual pointers.
In passing, Luo Chen also inquired about the whereabouts of that batch of Nascent Soul Formation Pills.
Under Deng Taiyue's control, seven of the ten pills had fallen into the hands of Nascent Soul sects, while the remaining three were distributed to lower forces:
A major Golden Core sect, a Golden Core clan, and Bohan Jun, an exceptionally wealthy rogue cultivator.
Among these three parties, aside from the cultivator from the Golden Core clan who had failed the breakthrough and perished, both Bohan Jun and the other individual had succeeded.
As for who the other person was and which sect they belonged to, Luo Chen had already guessed.
Azure Pill Valley, Tao Wan!
The larger share of seven pills had gone to the seven Nascent Soul upper sects: Nine Spirits Sect, Tiandu Sect, Fenghua Palace, White Crane Sect, Wan Jian Pavilion, Dongyang Sect, and White Deer Grotto.
Relying on those pills, five Nascent Soul True Persons had emerged, while two sects had failed.
The failures were Wan Jian Pavilion and the Dongyang Sect.
Upon hearing this news, Luo Chen felt deeply moved.
The failure rate for forming a Nascent Soul had always been exceedingly high; if even a few succeeded out of a hundred, it was considered fortunate.
Even though these candidates were chosen prodigies handpicked by major sects, their cultivation polished to perfection through the human-demon war, two had still failed despite the aid of Nascent Soul Formation Pills.
The hardship of cultivation was plain to see.
Taking advantage of traveling with Luo Chen, Bohan Jun not only asked for insights into cultivation, but also asked Luo Chen to examine his spiritual pet.
It was a six-winged frost centipede that carried the bloodline of a desolate beast.
Its potential should have been exceptionally high. Bohan Jun had relied on nurturing this spirit insect since youth to cultivate the path of extreme cold and reach his current realm. Yet the centipede itself was stuck at the threshold of the fourth rank.
With Luo Chen's breadth of experience, resolving the issue was naturally effortless.
It was actually quite simple. Many demon beasts in the Eastern Desolation had similar conditions to varying degrees: carrying a dilute bloodline of the Great Desolation, they would hit a bottleneck at the fourth rank.
The solution was to choose a path of cultivation.
Either refine the desolate bloodline and walk the path of a shape-transforming demon cultivator, or purify the bloodline and continue cultivating toward a beast of the Great Desolation.
It was just like the Ring-Headed Turtle clan Luo Chen had once encountered on Xuanyan Island in the North Sea.
When advancing to the fourth rank, those turtles either chose to cultivate toward shape transformation, or purified their bloodlines to revert to desolate beasts—either a Desolate Black Tortoise or a Desolate Cliff Serpent.
Between the two choices, it was hard to say which was superior.
Luo Chen analyzed it briefly for Bohan Jun: the path of shape transformation would allow his pet to cultivate faster, but he would have to prepare to search for suitable cultivation arts. The desolate beast path was slower to cultivate, yet its upper limit in this realm was somewhat higher, and advancing to the fifth rank would be relatively simpler.
With the latter, Luo Chen could not help.
With the former, Luo Chen casually gifted him a Shape Transformation Pill.
Bohan Jun was endlessly grateful, sighing repeatedly in his heart that the rumors of the Pill Sect's benevolence and generosity were indeed well-founded.
He had already exhausted his entire fortune to buy the Nascent Soul Formation Pill, and this Shape Transformation Pill was visibly of immense value—nowhere near what he could afford at present. To think the Pill Sect would gift it to him so generously.
Luo Chen was very open-minded about it.
"I spent a long time as a rogue cultivator myself, so I know how difficult it is. Since we crossed paths, lending a helping hand is no trouble. However, if you wish to go further, I suggest you either establish a sect of your own or join a Nascent Soul upper sect. Otherwise, simply gathering cultivation resources will consume more than half your cultivation time, which is truly not worth the cost."
Bohan Jun agreed completely, though for now he had no plans to create or join a sect; he simply resonated deeply with Luo Chen's words about the hardships of rogue cultivation.
"The Nascent Soul realm is already fraught with a thousand difficulties. I wonder if I will ever have the chance to touch the Spirit Transformation realm in this lifetime?"
At this point, a hesitant look crossed Bohan Jun's face.
"Master Luo, there is a matter I am unsure whether I should ask."
"Generally, it is best not to ask such things. But I am in a good mood today, so ask as you please!"
"Rumor has it that at your upcoming Shouyang Dao Discussion, you will mention an opportunity for Spirit Transformation. Might I be permitted to listen in?"
Luo Chen raised a brow. "You have lofty ambitions, fellow Daoist. You have only just broken through to the Nascent Soul stage, and already you are thinking about Spirit Transformation."
Bohan Jun looked somewhat abashed. "I am ashamed to say it. First, I received Master Luo's grace through the Nascent Soul Formation Pill, then along the way I have received your guidance and instruction, as well as the gift of the Shape Transformation Pill. I ought not to ask for more. Yet only after truly entering the Nascent Soul stage did I realize the vastness of heaven and earth and the distance of the Grand Dao. Spirit Transformation is what people like us dream of!"
Luo Chen waved his hand, gave him a deep look, and smiled freely.
"There is no need to feel ashamed. If you truly wish it, I shall grant your desire."
Hearing this, Bohan Jun was both shocked and delighted.
Delighted that Luo Chen was even more generous than imagined, and shocked that such a wonderful opportunity came so easily.
He wanted to ask if there were any conditions attached, but there was no time left.
Because Lingtian Pass had arrived!
The fierce tiger halted, and the Daoist looked into the distance.
The once-mighty Lingtian Pass remained as it had been before.
Yet it had lost the chilling murderous aura forged of blood and fire, gaining a touch of mundane bustle and prosperity.
The original Lingtian Pass still stood, but with the collapsed city walls serving as a boundary line, it had sprawled outward, covered in countless newly built structures, large and small.
This magnificent fortress of the Mountain and Sea Realm, unprecedented throughout the ages, had expanded even further. Even with Luo Chen's Crimson Eyes Golden Pupils, it seemed to stretch beyond the horizon.
Suddenly!
Luo Chen's gaze sharpened, his brow furrowing slightly.
Within the city, several streaks of escaping light shot into the sky, flying in his direction.
There were nine people in total, creating an immense, imposing presence.
Wherever they passed, the entire city looked on in shock.
Those were nine Nascent Soul True Persons!
As they drew near, the nine halted in unison and called out together, "Greetings, Supreme Elder!"
The unified shout resonated for tens of thousands of li.
The entire Lingtian Pass was shaken!
One divine sense after another reached out toward this area, yet once they drew close, none dared linger for even a moment, terrified of provoking the black-robed Daoist.
They knew only one thing: Luotian's Supreme Elder, the Pill Sect Luo Chen, had arrived!
Faced with those sweeping divine senses, Luo Chen paid them no heed. His gaze remained fixed only upon the nine people before him.
At the forefront were Gu Caiyi and Canglong.
Behind them were Wang Yuan, Lingfengzi, Haoranzi, Yu Jiaolong, and Tianxuan.
Shrinking at the very rear were Black King and Xiaobai.
"Come out!"
Black King and Xiaobai flew forward, wearing aggrieved expressions.
"Master, we didn't inform the sect!"
When Luo Chen had dispatched Black King and Xiaobai from Mount Cangwu, he had specifically instructed them not to let the cultivators of the Luotian Sect get involved.
Yet the seven people before him all hailed from the Luotian Sect; in fact, its topmost combat power had turned out in full force.
If they were wiped out, the Luotian Sect's four centuries of painstaking effort would be ruined in an instant.
Canglong said gently, "Senior Brother, why blame them? Black King and Xiaobai's wide distribution of discussion invitations has spread across the Eastern Desolation over these years—who does not know of it? Though our Luotian Sect remains hidden in the Nether Abyss, we maintain Shangyou Immortal City outside as a stronghold, so we naturally learned of it."
Behind her, Haoranzi and Yu Jiaolong nodded at the same time.
Back when Luo Chen brought the two of them back to the Luotian Sect, Haoranzi had been left outside the Nether Abyss.
Later, Luo Chen departed, but Sect Master Li Yingzhang did not recall Haoranzi. Instead, he dispatched personnel to leave the Nether Abyss and join Haoranzi's side, establishing the Luotian Sect's external stronghold at Shangyou Immortal City.
This was both to gather news and intelligence and to facilitate recruiting young disciples of suitable age.
Black King and Xiaobai had made little effort to conceal their actions, so Shangyou Immortal City had naturally received the news.
"Still, for all of you to come out... this..." Luo Chen shook his head, still feeling it unwise.
Gu Caiyi took a step forward, looking at Luo Chen with stubborn resolve. "My husband is about to undertake a momentous endeavor—how could we sit by and watch from the sidelines?"
Luo Chen pursed his lips, looking at Gu Caiyi, whose poise and bearing were completely different from the past, and then let his gaze fall upon each of the others in turn.
A look of resignation showed on Lingfengzi's face, but there was no reluctance.
Haoranzi smiled in greeting, Yu Jiaolong was eager to try her strength, and Tianxuan, though trailing behind, had a resolute expression.
Wang Yuan gave Luo Chen a nod, his voice deep. "We cannot remain under your protection forever, caring only for our own leisure. Just like in the Yan Alliance of old, we live and die together, that is all!"
Luo Chen was stunned.
In the end, he could only let out a soft sigh.
"Very well!"
Luo Chen waved his hand, dismounted from the tiger's back, and walked into their midst.
The group parted to make way, surrounding and escorting Luo Chen as they headed toward Lingtian Pass.
Gu Caiyi walked shoulder-to-shoulder with him, a heartfelt smile blooming on her face. At last, this time, she could follow at Luo Chen's side.
Canglong trailed half a step behind, her expression tender yet firm. This life of hers had been given by Luo Chen, and their relationship had progressed further—how could she not go through fire and water for him?
Behind the group, Black King dropped down beside the golden tiger, seemingly about to offer a teasing remark.
Yet with a roll, the golden tiger revealed Di Tu's towering frame. He merely cast a cold glance at Black King, forcing him to swallow back his teasing words.
Instead, Black King muttered inwardly, *What kind of dog-shit luck did this guy hit to become so terrifying?*
Bohan Jun had the good sense not to follow, merely watching the group from afar.
They were a gathering of formidable Nascent Soul True Persons whose realms surpassed his own, yet at this moment, they followed Luo Chen with absolute devotion, as though they would plunge into a mountain of blades or a sea of flames together if called to do so.
Bohan Jun's eyes filled with reverence.
"Is this the Pill Sect?"
The cultivators of the Luotian Sect made no attempt to hide, openly traversing Lingtian Pass until they disappeared toward Shouyang Mountain.
Wherever they passed, pairs of eyes followed, and streaks of divine sense recoiled in awe.
The Pill Sect, absent for so many years, had once more appeared before the world!
And shortly after the cultivators of the Luotian Sect welcomed Luo Chen's return, a message spread from Shouyang Mountain:
*In three days, the Shouyang Dao Discussion shall convene. All Eastern Desolation Nascent Soul True Persons may attend!*
Chapter 1065