Sudden Upheaval

Wang Yuan was the only friend Luo Chen could truly rely on. Even after concocting the Blood Burning Pill, a formula bordering on the demonic path, the first person Luo Chen had turned to for testing was Wang Yuan. If one looked closely at their history, their bond came down to little more than a bottle of Fasting Pills and a storage bag. Back when Wang Yuan was down on his luck, Luo Chen had given him a bottle of Fasting Pills. When Luo Chen was gravely wounded while carrying a hefty stash of spoils, Wang Yuan had neither robbed nor coerced him; instead, with considerable magnanimity, he had gifted Luo Chen the other Soul Breaking Nail. Between the two gestures, it was plain to see which carried more weight. Yet true friendship could never be measured in material worth. Fleeing was Luo Chen's plan, but he had to give Wang Yuan an explanation beforehand. Even if it were merely a simple "goodbye"! *** After another day of pill refinement, Luo Chen held the *Qingyuan Alchemy Exposition* in his hands, sitting before the cliff face as he sipped tea and read. He had already made up his mind to slip over to the Flood Dragon Hall under cover of darkness tonight and bid farewell to Wang Yuan. Over the following half month, he would finish refining the Jade Marrow Pills, building up a reserve of spirit stones before his departure. Doing things this way would not draw suspicion. When the time came to leave, he could do so with as much composure as possible. *The only pity is that my cultivation is still quite a ways off from the ninth level of Qi Refinement. Otherwise, I would have one more measure of self-preservation.* On his interface, the realm progress bar had only crept to [50/100]. Completing a full purification cycle of his spiritual power to break through to the ninth level of Qi Refinement would take at least several months. Unfortunately, Luo Chen could not afford to wait that long. He had no idea how long Mi Shuhua would need to nurse his wounds. These coming days were his best opportunity to run. If he waited until the man fully recovered, the resolve to drag him back would only be far greater. Delay brought uncertainty! Luo Chen sighed inwardly, quietly watching the Pill Hall cultivators leave one by one. Suddenly, Zhou Yuanli, who had remained lurking in the shadows, stepped inside. "Hall Master, something is wrong!" Luo Chen's heart skipped a beat. He had disguised his intentions well enough; by all rights, no one should have noticed his urge to leave! However, Zhou Yuanli's next words made him breathe a sigh of relief. "Outside... things aren't right!" Yet no sooner had that boulder dropped from his chest than it shot right back up into his throat. Luo Chen frowned and looked at him. "What isn't right?" "The two brothers stationed on patrol outside haven't reported in." "Oh?" Mi Shuhua had assigned five bodyguards to Luo Chen. Out in the open were Zhou Yuanli and Liu Qiang, two eighth-level Qi Refinement experts whose combined strength could match a ninth-level cultivator. In secret, the other three bodyguards handled duties as forward and rear scouts. Ordinarily, two bodyguards patrolled outside at all times to ensure safety whenever Luo Chen traveled. Zhou Yuanli stayed in regular contact with them. Now, word had abruptly cut off. What did that mean? "Not good!" Luo Chen gasped in alarm. "Hurry and call Hall Master Murong and Deacon Gu back!" Just moments ago, right before his eyes, the two women had left together. Not even two minutes had passed. For two skilled eighth-level Qi Refinement cultivators to vanish without a sound meant there was danger outside capable of threatening the ninth level! Zhou Yuanli froze, his expression flickering between grim uncertainty and alarm. He spun around and rushed out, blowing a whistle the moment he reached the open air. At once, the mid- and late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators normally guarding Crescent Moon Valley emerged—more than twenty in all. One of them was even at the ninth level of Qi Refinement. Luo Chen recognized her. She was the Medicine Hall's sole deacon, named Yuan Yuejiao. She was quite advanced in years, nearly a century old, and typically oversaw the medicinal herb fields, spiritual plant cultivation, and the recent production of monster-hide garments. Yuan Dongsheng, the spiritual farmer Luo Chen was familiar with, was her eldest son. Ordinarily, it was mostly she and Sikong Shoujia who rotated night watch duties here in Crescent Moon Valley. Out of respect, everyone addressed her as Granny Yuan. "Activate the grand formation!" A commanding voice rang out, coming from Zhou Yuanli. "Zhou Yuanli, what are you doing?" Luo Chen narrowed his eyes, staring fixedly at him. "Hall Master, your safety is our top priority!" Zhou Yuanli spoke neither servilely nor aggressively. At the same time, he beckoned, and Dongfang Liang stepped close. "Go check the situation outside. If you run into Hall Master Murong and Deacon Gu, escort them back." Dongfang Liang nodded nervously and flew out with great caution. Turning back, Zhou Yuanli looked at Luo Chen and Yuan Yuejiao, speaking with utmost gravity: "Those two brothers have ordinary combat skills, but their concealment techniques are exceptional. Now that all communication has gone dark, it's very likely that whoever is out there came for you, Hall Master." "In all things, caution must come first!" Luo Chen gave him a deep look, then shifted his gaze toward Crescent Moon Valley. A light yellow barrier of light slowly expanded outward, settling over Crescent Moon Valley like an inverted bowl. The Shutu Formation, a large-scale Tier 1 array built on the foundation of mountain terrain and earth veins, was often the first choice of protective clan formations for small immortal cultivation families. Luo Chen knew very well that after the Pill Hall established itself in Crescent Moon Valley, the Mountain Breaker Gang had laid this formation down specifically to defend the two major halls stationed here. Under normal circumstances, the Shutu Formation was rarely activated because it consumed a tremendous quantity of spirit stones. A single startup cost at least a hundred spirit stones. To sustain it, another hundred spirit stones had to be poured in every time an incense stick burned down. Yet this time, Zhou Yuanli had activated it without the slightest hesitation. From that alone, one could see just how much importance was placed on Luo Chen! As the formation engaged, the scenery outside, already bathed in the fading sunset, turned an even deeper shade of ochre. Luo Chen's spiritual eyes continuously swept across the exterior. Abruptly, he raised a hand. Zhou Yuanli paused, then realized what was happening and hastily flew to the edge of the grand formation. Soon, several silhouettes came into view before him. They were not enemies, but familiar faces! He let out a breath of relief, but seeing the bloodstains on many of them, his complexion darkened considerably. In particular, seeing Murong Qinglian supporting the blood-soaked Gu Caiyi sent a chill straight through his body. "Hall Master Murong, what happened out there?" "There are enemies—many of them!" Murong Qinglian looked frantic, her palace gown equally splattered with blood. Whether it belonged to her or had rubbed off from the unconscious Gu Caiyi was impossible to tell. "What kind of enemies could injure you and Deacon Gu?" Murong Qinglian glanced back, but no enemies were in sight. She could only give a bitter smile. "I don't know the full details, but there are at least four ninth-level Qi Refinement experts. Mid- and late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators are practically countless." "Elder Sikong left the valley before us, but when we saw him, he was being pursued by a ninth-level cultivator wearing iron claws, pushed into a wretched state." "It was only thanks to his warning that Caiyi and I avoided an ambush meant for us." Zhou Yuanli's eyes widened. How could such enemies have appeared out of thin air? Furthermore, if they possessed such formidable strength, why would they let Murong Qinglian and the others escape back here? Especially when, outside the formation, the Medicine Hall and Pill Hall cultivators were only at the early and mid stages of Qi Refinement. "Hurry, let us in!" "Those people are terrifying! They kill without blinking! Chen Yuan died right before our eyes, not even his bones left behind!" "Senior Zhou, please open the barrier! I'm wounded, it hurts so much!" "Open the formation, hurry!" Cries and wails erupted, gradually giving way to angry shouts and resentful curses. Zhou Yuanli's expression shifted continuously; for a moment, he had no idea what call to make. "Let them in." A calm, steady voice sounded beside his ear. Zhou Yuanli snapped his head around. "Hall Master! You cannot!" "Spies might be mixed among them!" Luo Chen's expression was grave. "It's fine. I will take full responsibility." With a sweep of his broad sleeve, he stepped up to the edge of the barrier. Looking at the familiar faces outside, he projected his voice clearly: "Before entering the formation, present your Mountain Breaker Gang identity tokens." "Once inside, make no sudden movements, submit to questioning, and do not resist in any way." "Anyone who violates this order will be slain without mercy!" The commotion outside finally ceased. One after another, voices shouted praises like "Long live the Hall Master!" and "Thank you, Hall Master!" Luo Chen remained unmoved, his sharp gaze fixed steadily on each cultivator outside. Zhou Yuanli sighed inwardly. Luo Chen had too little experience and was simply too soft-hearted. Letting so many people in all at once—if there truly were spies among them, the consequences would be unimaginable. Yet Luo Chen held the highest authority here, and Zhou Yuanli could not openly disobey him. Especially in front of everyone, refusing would not only infuriate Luo Chen but also provoke public outrage. Among the cultivators outside, quite a few were related by blood or close bonds to those inside. For instance, the spiritual farmer Yuan Dongsheng was currently talking through the barrier with Granny Yuan, the Medicine Hall deacon. *Ah, forget it!* *I'll just have to keep a closer watch myself in a moment!* Helpless, Zhou Yuanli ordered the formation opened just enough to create a gap for one person at a time. The first to enter were naturally Murong Qinglian and Gu Caiyi. Luo Chen glanced at them and gave a slight nod. "Deacon Yuan Yuejiao, I leave their treatment to you." "I don't need it. I reacted in time and wasn't hurt." Murong Qinglian let out a weary breath and handed Gu Caiyi over to the elderly female cultivator. Then, she stepped over to stand beside Luo Chen. Next, the low-tier cultivators of the Medicine Hall and Pill Hall filed into the formation one by one. Under the demands of Zhou Yuanli and the others, each presented their Mountain Breaker Gang identity tokens and submitted to questioning. Suddenly, Luo Chen's brows furrowed as his gaze landed on a cultivator who had just finished being questioned. "Seize him, and interrogate him thoroughly!" The man froze, his face changing drastically, and he made to flee. The others were too slow to react, but Luo Chen had already struck. He flicked his finger! *Thwack!* The man collapsed to his knees, two small holes puncturing his kneecaps as blood poured out in torrents. Murong Qinglian was taken aback. "That's Zheng Baotai from the Medicine Hall. He shouldn't be..." "He isn't Zheng Baotai!" Luo Chen reached out and sent a wisp of spiritual power flying forward. A cloud of black mist immediately rose from the man's face, revealing an unfamiliar countenance beneath. A disguise! A face-altering technique! Even as Zhou Yuanli reeled in shock, his hands moved without delay, instantly pinning the man down. "Not just him—this one as well." Luo Chen looked at a cultivator shrinking toward the back of the crowd and flicked his finger once more. That person seemed to have anticipated it, instantly summoning an artifact. *Clang!* Blocked! Just as relief surged through his chest, two stone beads struck from the left and right, hitting both of his kneecaps dead-on. *Crack! Crack!* He went down on his knees! "Take them both into custody! Interrogate them thoroughly and find out which faction sent them." "In addition, place restrictive seals on all the other cultivators who entered, including Yuan Dongsheng." Luo Chen gave the order calmly, his eyes resting on Yuan Yuejiao not far away as he spoke. The old woman pressed her lips together and gave him a slight nod. Zhou Yuanli took a deep breath and immediately carried out the commands. Yet he could not help but wonder: just how had Luo Chen told friend from foe? Moreover, Luo Chen was far from being as naive as he had assumed; he had arranged everything with methodical precision. Luo Chen naturally would not explain that under the magnification of his double-stacked Spiritual Eye Art, such crude spiritual disguises were laughably easy to spot. Even so, one could not rule out the possibility that genuine cultivators from the Medicine Hall or Pill Hall had been bought off by the enemy. That was why he had restrictions placed on everyone even after the questioning. Having dealt with those two, Luo Chen turned his gaze toward the remaining dozens outside. As his chilly stare swept over them, a stir rippled through the crowd. Almost in an instant, seven figures scattered and fled in several different directions. Luo Chen sneered. A few mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivators thought they could just leave after coming here? The Shutu Formation blocked the outside, not the inside. Without hesitation, he flicked all ten fingers in rapid succession! In a flash, dozens of waste Jade Marrow beads shot forth. Though his *Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers* had only reached the second proficiency stage, his mastery of the Hunyuan Bead concealed-weapon technique alone was consummate, bordering on perfection. Under the control of his refined eighth-level Qi Refinement spiritual power, the burst of might from each of these waste Jade Marrow beads was in no way inferior to a strike from a low-grade artifact. In the blink of an eye, a barrage of sickening thuds tore through the air. In midair, gorgeous blossoms of blood bloomed one after another. The sole cultivator who managed to block the attack using a mid-grade robe was besieged by twenty waste Jade Marrow beads and blown into a cloud of pulverized mist. Faced with this ruthless slaughter, the cultivators of both halls fell utterly silent in dread. The Pill Hall Master, who had always been so easygoing, free-spirited, and amiable with everyone, possessed such thunderous methods. Killing mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivators was like butchering chickens or slaughtering dogs to him. Yet as the remaining survivors were ushered inside, cheers erupted anew. "The Hall Master is mighty!" "The Hall Master's strength is incredible!" "No wonder he commands one of the nine halls! Who knew our seemingly unremarkable Hall Master was this formidable!" The greater the danger, the more people leaned on the strong. Luo Chen smiled faintly, offered a few comforting words to calm everyone, and then had the two captives brought into the Pill Hall. *** "Did they talk?" "Not yet." Dongfang Liang scratched his head. "My Soul-Perishing Needle, which I learned from Elder Sikong, isn't very proficient yet. If he were here, it would be much easier." "Never mind, I'll do it myself." Luo Chen rose and took a silver needle from Dongfang Liang's hand. He didn't know any Soul-Perishing Needle technique, but he knew Bright Spirit Fiend Shattering! That willpower-tempering technique required stimulating thirty-six whole acupoints, inflicting agonizing pain. It had taken Luo Chen months just to barely cross the threshold of basic proficiency. He had yet to see its intended results. Right now, however, it was the perfect tool for interrogating low-tier cultivators. He stepped up to the first captive he had brought down. The man was pale, yet his eyes held a sneer of disdain. Luo Chen shook his head, not bothering to shake the man's resolve with words. He simply drove the needle straight in! He did not start with acupoints that built up pain gradually; he went straight for the Quchi acupoint! "Aaaagh!" From just a single needle, the cultivator's pupils dilated as he let out a heart-wrenching shriek. Standing nearby, Dongfang Liang shuddered. *Was it really necessary to react so violently to a needle in a single acupoint?* Naturally, he did not know that Luo Chen's method went far beyond that. Under the surface, Luo Chen had used the silver needle to channel a wisp of spiritual power deep inside. Assailed from both within and without, how could a Qi Refinement cultivator, who was still fundamentally human, endure such sudden, excruciating torment? *Swish!* Pulling the silver needle free, Luo Chen watched him in silence. After two breaths, he shook his head. "It seems you still don't wish to speak." *Squelch!* Under that terrified gaze, he drove another needle in. "Aaaagh!" Withdrawing the needle, Luo Chen looked at him quietly. He shook his head. "You're quite the tough hero. What a pity." Beneath the man's horrified eyes, Luo Chen reached out and picked up two silver needles. His hands struck like lightning. "Huh, why did you stop screaming?" Only then did Luo Chen notice that the man had slumped limp against the floor, a faint stench of urine rising from his crotch. "Even like this, you still won't talk?" "I am truly curious what sort of experiences forged such an unyielding will in you." Luo Chen sighed and reached for a third silver needle. Just as he raised it high, the cultivator on the ground stared blankly with glazed eyes, his lips trembling as he muttered: "Ask me... just ask me something first..."