Canyon Cold Pool, Ice Soul Cold Fiend

Where else would he go? To the safety of the inner city, of course! Although the source of the chaos in Dahe Market stemmed from that Jade Cauldron Golden Core cultivator, at this very moment, only the inner city was truly secure. It possessed a Tier 3 formation encompassing the entire inner city and was overseen by a Golden Core Master. Even if a full-scale beast tide erupted, the inner city would remain the safest place in all of Dahe Market. Luo Chen was not the only one who thought so. When he entered the city gates, the surging crowd was packed to the absolute limit. Fortunately, with his bodyguards clearing the path ahead and Duan Feng—a formidable ninth-layer Qi Refinement expert ranked on the Prodigy Roll—by his side, Luo Chen made it home without any trouble. Once inside, Luo Chen first settled their earnings from this recent period with Duan Feng. After all, with circumstances likely to shift in the days ahead, their business of repairing and reselling magic tools would probably have to be put on hold. When they had first partnered up, the terms had been agreed upon in advance. Luo Chen provided the startup capital and purchased all the raw materials, while Duan Feng contributed the labor and technical skill. Consequently, Luo Chen had generously proposed a fifty-fifty split. Over this period, they had made two thousand spirit stones, coming out to one thousand each. Furthermore, the startup capital Luo Chen had supplied was mostly tied up in the second-hand magic tools they had purchased, which could not be liquidated right away. Therefore, in the short term, Luo Chen was in the red on this investment. "What a pity. The window of opportunity was too short." Luo Chen put away his thousand spirit stones. Duan Feng also felt reluctant to see it pause. "Indeed. If we had just a little more time, it would definitely have turned a profit." In this world, things rarely went entirely as one wished. A peaceful era allowed people to cultivate in peace and even enjoy their lives. Yet chaotic times also gave extraordinary individuals a chance to distinguish themselves. If given the choice, however, Luo Chen still preferred a relatively stable environment for cultivation. *** Late at night, when all was quiet, inside the reverse-facing room. The moonlight grass had grown increasingly lush, stretching out its leaves beneath the moonlight pouring down through the glazed skylight. Inside the room, rich, mellow fragrance drifted from Spirit Calming Incense burning in a small censer. Having soaked in the Origin-Nourishing Spiritual Liquid, Luo Chen sat cross-legged on the bed, circulating the Eternal Spring Art just as he always did. Only after a long while did he slowly finish his cycle. Parting his lips slightly, he exhaled a streak of white vapor that curled like a miniature dragon. His gaze shifted to the realm row on his status panel. [Realm: Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement (30/100)] Without him even realizing it, three to four months had passed since his breakthrough to the eighth layer of Qi Refinement, yet his progress had not even reached the halfway mark. Perhaps for an ordinary rogue cultivator, such speed would already be considered exceptionally fast. Yet for Luo Chen, who had experienced breaking through to the seventh layer of Qi Refinement in just three months, this was a distinctly noticeable deceleration. He felt unsatisfied. The reason was simple: he did not consider himself an ordinary rogue cultivator. Though his spiritual root aptitude was poor, his cultivation conditions surpassed those of almost all rogue cultivators. He took Dust-Cleansing Pills without pause; he had Spirit Calming Incense, moonlight grass, a spirit vein cave, and a Spirit Gathering Formation; and he continuously consumed high-grade Jade Marrow Pills. Such abundant cultivation resources were beyond even what disciples of major sects could enjoy. Major sect disciples might possess more profound cultivation methods and guidance from renowned masters. Yet Luo Chen's Eternal Spring Art had already reached Great Perfection, with the system having remedied every single one of its flaws. It could be said that his current cultivation conditions were superior even to those of major sect disciples. "The eighth layer of Qi Refinement is still not secure enough, but I've already pushed myself to my current limit." "From here on, before reaching the ninth layer of Qi Refinement, keeping a low profile must remain my top priority." "No, I should keep a low profile all the way until Foundation Establishment." Luo Chen surveyed his surroundings, feeling somewhat dissatisfied. Having grown accustomed to the abundant spiritual energy of the spirit vein cave, the cultivation environment of an ordinary residence in the inner city was truly lacking by comparison. "I still have to cultivate back in Crescent Moon Valley. Staying here really drags down my progress." "Let's hope this beast tide doesn't drag on for too long!" *** Early the next morning, Luo Chen sent Dongfang Liang to gather news about the situation at Mount Qinghe. Around midday, Dongfang Liang hurried back and brought him good news. A full-scale beast tide had not actually broken out! After assaulting a stretch of the outer city's East District, the demon beasts had retreated back into the Guyuan Mountain Range. It was said that Deacon Miao of the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect and True Disciple Luo had led the law enforcement squad to intervene personally. They had even called upon a wisp of Golden Core Master Pang Renxiong's sword intent to force the beast tide back. Now, reconstruction efforts were already underway in the East District. At the same time, many people had begun inquiring about the exact state of affairs inside the Golden Core ruins in the Guyuan Mountain Range. Luo Chen was curious as well, but his immediate priority was leading his people back to Crescent Moon Valley. His cultivation could not be neglected! Furthermore, Crescent Moon Valley did not border the Guyuan Mountain Range; the entire Dahe Market lay between them, placing them in a west-and-east configuration. By comparison, this side was relatively safe. Of course, that was provided nothing went wrong in the neighboring Howling Moon Mountain Range. Yet as Luo Chen saw it, the Howling Moon Mountain Range was currently far safer than before. Forget the nearby Mount Huiye—even the more distant Mount Changyin barely had any demon wolves left. He had no idea where all those demon wolves had gone. Seeing Luo Chen rush back to Crescent Moon Valley in the middle of a crisis, Sikong Shoujia, who oversaw the area, was quite surprised. Luo Chen's reasoning was equally simple. "The grand undertaking of alchemy must never cease!" "This concerns the livelihoods of hundreds, even thousands of our gang's brothers. I simply cannot bear to let it stop!" This high-sounding justification made Sikong Shoujia's teeth ache and his eyes roll. How was it that when young Luo spoke off the cuff, his words sounded so noble and pleasant? And yet, once Luo Chen resumed regular alchemy operations, the gang's anxious atmosphere actually stabilized. Naturally, this "gang atmosphere" was limited only to the Pill Hall and the adjacent Medicine Hall. As for the Beast Hall and Mining Hall, because their hall masters had accompanied the Gang Leader to the Guyuan Mountain Range, they were left leaderless. Lately, they had caused quite a few disturbances. It had left Mi Junping, who held the fort at the headquarters, utterly overwhelmed. After finishing his alchemy that afternoon, Luo Chen chatted with Sikong Shoujia once again. "Do you know how the struggle over the ruins is progressing?" Sikong Shoujia said with deep worry, "I'm afraid things aren't looking good." "Do you happen to have any inside information, Elder? Mind sharing a bit?" Luo Chen's network within the gang was limited to a few upper echelons. When it came to intelligence regarding the Guyuan Mountain Range, Luo Chen truly knew far less than the old man before him. Sikong Shoujia gave a bitter smile. "What inside information could there be? Step outside and ask around, and anyone will tell you what's happened in the Guyuan Mountain Range recently." From his account, Luo Chen learned just how chaotic the Guyuan Mountain Range had become. At the beginning, things were actually fairly tame, with everyone eagerly excavating heavenly materials and earthly treasures. Gradually, however, rogue cultivators began fishing in troubled waters, brazenly acting as highway robbers. After all, why exhaust oneself painstakingly digging up spiritual herbs when snatching them from others was so much faster? This situation eased somewhat after the Mountain Breaker Gang and the Xuanyi Society reached a standoff. However, a few days ago, the Heavenly Craft Spirit Snatching Array had autonomously contracted, expelling all Qi Refinement cultivators and leaving only Foundation Establishment cultivators inside. That was when everything changed. With several thousand cultivators left outside and no Foundation Establishment True Cultivators to suppress them, they could no longer hold back. The Mountain Breaker Gang, the Xuanyi Society, and a handful of Great River Gang cultivators engaged in fierce fighting. The remaining rogue cultivators mingled among them, fighting tooth and nail for their own opportunities. "You remember Luo Erduo, don't you?" "Tch, how could I forget that kid?" Luo Chen remembered very well that Luo Erduo had been the first to jump out and announce he was leaving the Pill Hall to head for the Golden Core ruins. Leaving was fine, but he just had to jump out right after Luo Chen had laid down his stern warning. Was that not slapping Luo Chen right in the face? "He's dead!" Sikong Shoujia sighed. "Yesterday, a stoker who left the Pill Hall came fleeing back." "He was scared out of his wits and realized it was better to honestly tend the fires and earn a salary, so he wanted to return to the Pill Hall." "Oh?" Luo Chen narrowed his eyes. Sikong Shoujia quickly added, "With your standing order in place, I certainly wouldn't take back anyone who left. But before turning him away, I pried plenty of details out of him regarding the situation in the mountains." "Thousands of cultivators in a free-for-all—the situation was completely uncontrollable, and everyone was out of their minds with bloodlust." "How could a youngster like Luo Erduo possibly survive?" Luo Chen nodded slightly, pleased with Sikong Shoujia's handling of the deserter and equally gratified by Luo Erduo's demise. He had betrayed the Pill Hall! He deserved an early grave! Still, thinking of a chaotic melee involving thousands of cultivators made Luo Chen's scalp tingle. "What happened with the beast tide?" "The reason for the beast tide is simple!" Sikong Shoujia threw up his hands. "With so many people fighting on the demon beasts' territory, it's not like the beasts are dead objects." "After being cooped up for a while, even the safe camps that had been surveyed beforehand were no longer safe." "Once the Foundation Establishment cultivators stopped showing their faces, the demon beasts—led by Jinming spirit monkeys and Explosive Apes—began slaughtering and hunting cultivators." "Then the low-tier rogue cultivators banded together to flee, with demon beasts chasing after them, and it gradually snowballed into a minor beast tide." Luo Chen recalled the fleeting glimpse he had caught yesterday at Mount Qinghe. Those demon beasts covering the mountains and plains had only amounted to a minor beast tide? Luo Chen dared not imagine what a true major beast tide would look like. He simply said, "The main force should be returning soon, then." "Let's hope so!" The contraction of the Heavenly Craft Spirit Snatching Array had stripped all Qi Refinement cultivators of any chance to compete further for opportunities. With a minor beast tide erupting in the mountains as well, the low-tier rogue cultivators had no choice but to pull out. Thinking of his own son, Sikong Shoujia murmured once more, "The sooner, the better!" *** Deep within Mount Changyin. In the quiet mountain forest, a night owl hooted softly as a figure flitted through the trees like an agile ape. There was none of the chaos of Dahe Market here, nor the bloodshed of the Guyuan Mountain Range. The serene atmosphere felt like a hidden paradise abandoned by the world. Yet Luo Chen knew well that this environment would not last indefinitely. The demon wolf packs had departed, but they would return one day. He had to seize this window of time to explore all of Mount Changyin while familiarizing himself with the Azure Musk Flood Dragon Gathering Banner as quickly as possible. Suddenly, Luo Chen's figure came to a halt. A surge of intensely cold, yin-infused air billowed relentlessly from the canyon below. Even with his high-grade robe wrapped tightly around him, the chill still made his face turn pale. "Why is it so cold here?" This was the very last unexplored area in Mount Changyin. With a thought, Luo Chen reined in his aura and descended slowly. As far as the eye could see, one-meter-tall small trees were visible everywhere. "Is this cold cassia?" "And all of them are over a century old!" Luo Chen was somewhat surprised; cold cassia was rarely seen. This tree was considered a rare treasure among Tier 1 spiritual wood, bearing fruit once every ten years. The fruit it yielded was called cassia fruit. If a cultivator with an ice or water spiritual root ingested and refined it, they could obtain several years' worth of painstakingly cultivated spiritual power. "With so many cold cassia trees, how is there not a single cassia fruit on any of them?" Luo Chen paused in his tracks. From deep within the canyon, he could faintly hear rounds of wolf howls. Information regarding Mount Changyin flowed through Luo Chen's mind. The demon beasts that had inhabited this mountain year-round were frost giant wolves. This breed of demon wolf possessed a natural affinity for and command over the power of ice, snow, and frost. During the battle at Mount Changyin last winter, the gray-leaf wolves had steadily lost ground precisely because they lacked the advantage of weather and terrain, leaving them completely suppressed by the frost giant wolves. "It seems this is the ancestral ground of the nearby frost giant wolves, and the cassia fruits produced by these cold cassias have all been devoured by them." Sensing the nearby demon qi and the howling from the canyon depths, Luo Chen arrived at this conclusion. Pausing briefly, Luo Chen hesitated over whether to proceed. A moment later, he pressed firmly forward. The vast majority of the demon wolves had already left Mount Changyin. Even if some remained in their lair, they could not be particularly powerful. Moreover, with his nearly perfected, Grandmaster-level Qi Concealment Incantation, as long as he was careful, the beasts would not detect him. And even if he were discovered... Worst comes to worst, he could simply run! Creeping forward along the path, the surrounding flora and minerals set Luo Chen's heart pounding with excitement. Besides extensive groves of cold cassia, there were Lingting grass carpeting the entire canyon, mature Phantom Nether Grass, and even exposed deposits of cold iron. Every single one of these was an exceptional treasure! Lingting grass was a water-attribute spiritual herb used in many pill formulas to harmonize medicinal properties. Phantom Nether Grass was something Luo Chen craved even more. This material was one of the primary ingredients for the incomplete recipe for the Nether-Passage Pill. As for cold iron, it went without saying that it was indispensable for forging yin-attribute magic tools. The cold iron reserves here were definitely substantial. If it was abundant enough to be exposed on the surface, one could easily imagine how much remained buried underground. Leaning against a cliff wall, Luo Chen gazed into the distance with his spirit eyes. A dozen snow-white wolf cubs were frolicking among patches of Lingting grass, occasionally tearing off large mouthfuls to chew on. Wolves grazing on grass was truly a rare sight. Yet Luo Chen's attention was drawn to a cold pool billowing white vapor deep within the canyon. Even from such a distance, wisps of an eerie, bone-chilling aura seeped into his body. Shuddering, Luo Chen swallowed hard. "Fiend qi!" "And it's a Tier 2 fiend qi—Ice Soul Cold Fiend!" Taking a deep breath, Luo Chen suppressed his greed and turned to leave without the slightest hesitation. For beside that cold pool lay an ancient white wolf. Though old, even while lying down it was a meter tall; upon standing, it would surely reach several meters. Its body stretched four to five zhang in length, resembling a miniature mountain. A Tier 2 demon wolf! Even if its aura was so faint with age that it seemed on the verge of fading away, the sense of danger it gave Luo Chen was not inferior to that of any Foundation Establishment cultivator he had ever encountered. Only after putting the canyon far behind him did Luo Chen breathe a sigh of relief. "The Howling Moon Mountain Range truly is an undeveloped, massive mountain range; its resources are astonishingly rich." A single Mount Changyin had yielded so many fine discoveries for him. In particular, that canyon held numerous ice- and water-attribute heavenly materials and earthly treasures, as well as a cold pool that had birthed fiend qi. Just this single cache of resources was enough to sustain the survival and proliferation of a small wolf pack. If Luo Chen could secure control of this resource point, he would never have to worry about resources prior to Foundation Establishment. Even after reaching Foundation Establishment, it would still prove immensely beneficial to his cultivation. "What a pity it doesn't belong to me yet!" With a sigh, he etched the location of this resource site deeply into his memory. Luo Chen quietly returned to the spirit vein cave. After a night of cultivation, his progress finally ticked from 30 to 31. This was not the result of a single night's work, but the cumulative effect of two to three days. The resources consumed in the process, if converted to spirit stones, amounted to as much as two to three hundred! Saying it aloud would frighten anyone to death. An ordinary rogue cultivator could hardly earn that many spirit stones in an entire month. Even a ninth-layer Qi Refinement expert like Gu Caiyi could barely scrape together such an amount. Yet Luo Chen had consumed that much in just three days. Calling him a gold-devouring behemoth was not an exaggeration in the slightest. Yet it was precisely because he spared no expense that Luo Chen was able to maintain a cultivation speed that vastly outstripped ordinary cultivators. *** The following day at noon. Luo Chen was wolfing down a lunch made of spirit rice and demon beast meat, his eyes cast down toward the base of Crescent Moon Valley. Zeng Wen had returned. Leading a combat hall, he had done everything in his power to bring back the Medicine Hall cultivators who had ventured out. Even so, it was only a portion of them! Murong Qinglian took in the returning contingent of Medicine Hall cultivators with deep heartache: fifty had left, but only twenty-odd had made it back. Luo Wudi had claimed he would do his best to protect them, but he had barely paid them any heed. It was Zeng Wen who, before departing, had remembered these Medicine Hall cultivators who possessed virtually no combat ability and brought them back. "Bastard!" Murong Qinglian cursed aloud, a rare occurrence for her. After having someone settle the returning subordinates, she fumed with fury, "Where is Luo Wudi?!" "What did he promise before heading out? Now I've lost an entire half of my people!" "If he doesn't give me an explanation, he'd better not blame my Medicine Hall for cutting off his hall's healing elixirs!" Faced with her interrogation, the exhausted Zeng Wen gave a bitter smile. "I'm afraid you won't be getting an explanation." Murong Qinglian was taken aback. "He's dead. Along with his nephew, he died under the siege of rogue cultivators." Murong Qinglian froze, a look of shock appearing across her gentle, refined face. Up on the mountainside within the Pill Hall, Luo Chen also stopped shoveling food into his mouth. Luo Wudi was dead? One of the four great elders of the Mountain Breaker Gang, master of one of the three combat halls, the "Descending Tiger" Luo Wudi who had effortlessly slain an enemy from the Great River Gang on the Dao Discussion Platform... Had just died like that?