A blazing sun hung high overhead as spiritual power surged like a tide.
Endless clamor and the cries of slaughter echoed through the fortified manor.
A siege of sheer brutality had erupted.
Luo Chen stood suspended in midair, flanked only by Zhou Yuanli and Liu Qiang guarding his back.
From his vantage point, the battle inside the compound had already become a one-sided slaughter.
The Fu family never had many cultivators to begin with.
Even counting those in early Qi Refinement, they numbered no more than fifty in total.
For a Foundation Establishment force, that was meager indeed.
Yet, having relocated all the way from Tianlan Immortal City at the cost of many kinsmen's lives, retaining even this number was a testament to Fu Zhang's capable leadership.
In comparison, the Luotian Association fielded even fewer cultivators—barely over thirty.
However!
When it came to top-tier combat strength, the Luotian Association held an overwhelming advantage.
The Fu clan had only four cultivators at the ninth layer of Qi Refinement, and barely five if Fu Zhang were counted.
The Luotian Association, on the other hand, had Duan Feng, Zeng Wen, Qin Liangchen, Sima Xian, and Sima Wenjie matching them man for man.
Moreover, Wang Yuan, Master of the War Hall, strode through their ranks.
With every strike he made, he claimed the life of a late Qi Refinement Fu family expert.
As for the formidable Fu Zhang himself, Duan Feng had volunteered to step forward and pin him down.
Duan Feng was no weakling either, having long ranked among the top three on the Dahe Prodigy Roll.
Even Nangong Qin, the current number one, had once lost a bout to him upon first arriving.
Though Nangong Qin later reclaimed victory, it was clear proof of Duan Feng's formidable strength.
Furthermore, after the battle at Crescent Moon Valley, Duan Feng had acquired several high-grade artifacts, effectively shoring up almost all of his shortcomings.
For a time, even Fu Zhang found himself battered and suppressed beneath Duan Feng's onslaught.
"So this Fu family head is nothing special after all!"
Liu Qiang watched with boiling blood, itching to plunge into the fray himself.
His words carried little regard for Fu Zhang.
To this, Luo Chen remarked with a grave countenance, "It is merely because taking up the mantle of family head has burdened him with too many worries, leaving him afraid to fight without restraint."
Luo Chen remembered the battle at Crescent Moon Valley vividly.
Among the five ninth-layer Qi Refinement masters assembled by the Great River Gang, none were weaklings, save perhaps for Shan Xiu.
Three had perished in that engagement, and even the immensely powerful Min Longyu had been forced into a wretched retreat.
Fu Zhang alone had cleanly slain Sikong Shoujia and sauntered away.
From start to finish, he had emerged practically unscathed.
This man possessed formidable combat prowess, yet for the sake of his clan, he dared not place himself in mortal danger.
It might appear that Duan Feng had the upper hand for now.
Yet if backed into a corner, there was no telling what deadly trump card Fu Zhang might unleash.
After all, the Fu family possessed a legacy talisman treasure!
Moreover, Luo Chen's attention was not fixed solely on the duel below.
His spirit-imbued eyes swept across the surroundings, pausing slightly before shifting away in rapid succession.
*One!*
*Two!*
*Four Foundation Establishment True Cultivators have arrived!*
*I wonder if Miao Wen is among them?*
*Wang Yuan is currently fighting purely with ninth-layer Qi Refinement power and his Foundation Establishment physique. He cannot employ his blood dao techniques, or his identity will easily be exposed.*
*The other True Cultivators pose little concern, but Miao Wen cannot be overlooked. He hails from the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect and must have used Clarity Liquid; seeing through Wang Yuan's true nature would be all too easy for him.*
*Still, Wang Yuan had to take the field in this battle.*
*It was necessary both to secure a swift, decisive victory and to win over the hearts of the War Hall cultivators.*
*Even so, dragging this out too long is never wise.*
Thoughts raced through Luo Chen's mind.
His lips moved in a subtle murmur. Beside him, Zhou Yuanli's brow twitched, and he immediately turned to pass an order to a subordinate at his side.
……
One li from the battlefield, four strands of spiritual sense intertwined continuously.
"Who would have thought that in such a short time, this Luotian Association could muster such a formidable force?"
"What is so surprising about that? The Mountain Breaker Gang was practically no different from a small sect back then. Absorbing even ten or twenty percent of its remnants would easily allow the Luotian Association to overpower most rogue cultivator factions."
"Mi Shuhua could indeed be considered an exceptional figure of his generation. He expanded the Mountain Breaker Gang to great heights, and his personal combat prowess was undeniably fierce. What a pity…"
"That War Hall Master, Wang Yuan, is exceedingly strong!"
"Hah, merely body cultivation tricks. He appears to wield the might of a Foundation Establishment strike, but do you truly believe he could close within thirty paces of us?"
"Fellow Daoist Nangong speaks the truth. Though it is unknown how this Wang Yuan tempered such a diamond-like physique, it would still take nothing more than a single sword strike from any of us."
"Heh, Fellow Daoist Duan certainly has leisure to spare. Instead of staying home to plan your grandson's Foundation Establishment, what brings you here?"
"Ah, that's right. The one pressing Fu Zhang so hard down there, Duan Feng—he happens to be your maternal grandson, doesn't he?"
"Tsk, tsk. Your Duan family truly breeds talents in abundance. A single generation has produced Duan Rui at Qi Refinement Great Perfection, as well as Duan Feng, renowned upon the Prodigy Roll."
Though phrased as praise, the words dripped with unmistakable mockery.
In the shadows, Duan Qiankun let out a sigh, declining to engage in petty verbal sparring.
Nangong Jin's voice chimed in once more. "Let them fight. Once this battle concludes, the Fu family is finished, and this Luotian Association will surely suffer heavy casualties as well."
"This Luo Chen is a clever man, yet he remains too young and reckless, indulging in nothing more than an emotional fit of pique."
"If this continues, his Luotian Association will… eh?"
"Huh?!"
Exclamations of surprise rang out one after another.
The situation had suddenly shifted.
……
"A Foundation Establishment clan with a long heritage must possess countless treasures!"
"Fellow Daoists, treasures belong to the virtuous! As one of profound virtue, I shall take the lead!"
"Count me in! Let's go!"
"Crafting blood talismans defies the heavens and outrages reason! Today, I shall enact justice on heaven's behalf!"
The Fu family's decline was now plain for all to see, and the fact that they were being pummeled by the Luotian Association was undeniable.
After this clash, the Fu clan was destined to be ground into the dust of Dahe Market's history.
Since that was the case, why shouldn't everyone claim a share of the spoils?
Fanned by the inflammatory shouts of "a certain rogue cultivator,"
countless rogue cultivators instantly mounted their escape lights and swarmed into the Fu family's fortified manor.
The manor, which had previously seemed spacious, became instantly congested after absorbing thousands of rogue cultivators.
Building after building collapsed abruptly amid the chaotic scuffles between cultivators scrambling for loot.
The Fu family's annihilation had become an unalterable reality.
Watching this scene unfold, Luo Chen breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
The subordinate dispatched by Zhou Yuanli had already slipped back from the crowd unnoticed.
Luo Chen cast him an appreciative glance before instructing, "Notify Wang Yuan and the others to pull all War Hall cultivators out of the compound."
"Also, send up the signal for Duan Feng and his men to withdraw the moment they sense anything amiss."
Zhou Yuanli gave a resolute assent.
As he went to relay the orders, even someone as customarily calm and steady as Zhou Yuanli could not help feeling a surge of fervor in his chest.
Truth be told, few had held high hopes for the newly founded Luotian Association.
Even internally, some had harbored doubts.
Most assumed the Luotian Association differed from the Mountain Breaker Gang, neither seizing territory nor vying for resources, existing merely to serve Association Master Luo Chen's pill refining.
Yet after this battle, everyone would realize the truth.
The Luotian Association was far from weak!
It possessed the strength to contend with any minor power.
Even when pitted against a legacy Foundation Establishment clan like the Fu family, it could wage war and prevail!
Gradually, the Luotian Association's cultivators pulled back from the battlefield.
Inside, however, the fighting raged on, growing even more frenzied.
Those were clashes between Fu family members and rogue cultivators, and rogue cultivators against one another.
"Count our casualties."
"Spoils of war need not be handed over; whatever you seize is yours to keep."
"Regroup into formation. Once the dust settles, we'll make another push to secure the core of the Fu family's resources."
Wang Yuan quietly stepped up beside Luo Chen.
Looking at the young man who strategized with such poise and issued commands without pause, a glint of genuine admiration flashed in his eyes.
He knew very well that from conception to execution, this entire campaign had been orchestrated almost single-handedly by Luo Chen.
Though the final spoils were yet to be tallied,
Luo Chen's core objectives were already virtually complete.
Using the Fu family to establish their might had firmly cemented the Luotian Association's standing in Dahe Market.
From here on, striking one decisive blow would spare them a hundred coming punches—a truly advantageous position.
*If I cultivate alone, it cannot last long.*
*Helping Luo Chen is helping myself.*
Wang Yuan understood this with clarity. Rogue cultivators struggling entirely on their own in the cultivation world rarely met good ends.
Yet aside from his fighting prowess, he had virtually no other strengths.
Back when he led the Flood Dragon Hall in Taishan Market, he had drifted for so long without ever truly breaking into the market's inner circle.
Thus, he had recognized his own limitations long ago.
Rather than exhausting his heart and mind to build an organization from scratch, it was far better to walk alongside Luo Chen.
At the very least, his bond with Luo Chen was deep, the kind where they could bare their hearts to each other.
Furthermore, judging by how Luo Chen had concocted the Blood Burning Pill for him and gifted him the Breath Concealment Spiritual Art, Luo Chen was never a man to mistreat his brothers.
The only slight pity was that Luo Chen's realm remained rather low.
If he could achieve Foundation Establishment, it would be even better.
With the two of them joining forces, they could seize far more cultivation resources in Dahe Market.
Just as his thoughts drifted, a shrill, furious roar erupted from the deafening clamor of battle.
"My Fu family is brought to ruin, and the arch-culprit is none other than Luo Chen!"
"Today, I, Fu Zhang, have failed my ancestors, and I can only atone with my death!"
Along with this mournful, piercing shriek, an astonishing surge of power erupted from amidst the sea of thousands of cultivators.
It was a gigantic golden-melon warhammer!
It was not the artifact in Fu Zhang's hand, but a colossal phantom projection.
The phantom was so immense that it practically blotted out the sky.
Beneath the towering golden hammer, Fu Zhang's figure seemed utterly diminutive.
He was drenched in blood and covered in countless wounds.
Yet his bloodshot eyes were fixed with murderous intensity on the man dozens of li away.
Clutched in his hand was a golden talisman, voraciously draining his spiritual power.
Not only that, but the ambient spiritual energy in the surrounding heaven and earth swirled into a tornado, sweeping directly into the hammer's phantom silhouette.
Everyone stood frozen in horror.
Someone screamed, "A magical treasure!"
Panic ensued, and cultivators fled in desperation, daring not linger in the manor for even another instant.
Fu Zhang did not spare them a single glance, keeping his glare locked on Luo Chen as if wishing to flay him alive and devour his flesh.
"Even in death, I will drag you down to hell with me!"
In the next instant, his body shot forth like an arrow.
The massive golden hammer above his head crashed down with the force of an overturning mountain and an encroaching sea.
"Danger!"
"Association Master, fall back!"
"Luo Chen!"
Amidst the chorus of anxious cries, Luo Chen did the unexpected—instead of retreating, he surged forward!
At times, one simply could not retreat.
Behind him, Wang Yuan's mind shuddered. His outstretched hand froze in midair.
Wisps of blood qi were already leaking from his grasp.
Yet he dropped his arm with a soft sigh. This was Luo Chen's own choice.
"Come, then! I'd like to see the true might of a talisman treasure!"
Luo Chen's face was calm, yet a touch of madness flared in his eyes.
It was a fury long accumulated from Gao Tingyuan's lingering threats, Mi Shuhua's calculated control, and Miao Wen's constant condescension.
This fury had bred a madness long suppressed within him.
Today's battle was already magnificent enough.
Yet it was not yet perfect!
And that perfection had to be personally completed by him—the Association Master of the Luotian Association!
As he hurtled forward, a large azure banner unfurled with a sharp snap.
*Roar!*
A flood dragon manifested before him.
"Emerge!"
"Emerge!"
"Emerge once more!"
With a low roar, Luo Chen gripped the banner with both hands.
In the next instant, six flood dragons roared forth in unison.
Luo Chen waved the banner, and the six azure flood dragons surged fiercely toward the colossal golden hammer.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
A tremendous roar drowned out every other sound.
Amidst the clash of gold and azure, a figure suddenly vaulted high into the sky.
The very next moment, like a sharp sword, he charged straight toward the lingering remnants of the hammer phantom.
Fu Zhang stared in dumbfounded horror at the charging man. *How dare he face a talisman treasure head-on?!*
A dazzling burst of golden light, equally radiant, bloomed right before his eyes.
Like a miniature sun rising into existence, it engulfed him entirely.
The hammer phantom dissolved into nothingness.
In the sky above, only the blazing sun and that brilliant mini-sun remained.
And from within stepped a figure, floating out like a celestial, like a god.
Chapter 152