A fierce wind sweeps the pale sun away; time races ever westward in its flight.
The days slipped past in the blink of an eye, and half a month was gone.
During these past two weeks, the Luotian Association had entered a state of near-total dormancy.
Its cultivators ceased venturing outside, and external supplies of Jade Marrow Pills were suspended—even to the several Foundation Establishment factions.
This bizarre posture drew many sidelong glances from the rogue cultivators.
Yet no one questioned it.
The reason was simple: everyone knew the Luotian Association had suffered a terrifying beast tide.
Rumor had it that a second-tier demon beast had personally descended upon them.
In the end, the Luotian Association had barely held out thanks to a top-grade formation.
Even so, their losses were catastrophic; more than a dozen late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators had perished in the onslaught.
Under such circumstances, hunkering down and licking their wounds in silence was without question the most sensible choice.
The major Foundation Establishment forces remained equally mute on the matter.
Or rather, there was simply nothing for them to say.
None of them could jump out unprompted to claim it was their doing—or deny that it was, either.
That would be tantamount to an unforced confession!
Yet unbeknownst to outsiders, a fervent frenzy of cultivation had erupted within the Luotian Association!
From the carcasses of those more than two hundred first-tier demon beasts, aside from those obliterated without a trace, a vast quantity of demon beast meat had been preserved.
A full two hundred thousand jin!
With such an immense stockpile of demon beast meat, Sima Huiniang set aside half to sell and recoup spirit stones.
The remainder was kept entirely to nourish all the cultivators within the Luotian Association.
On top of that, Luo Chen personally went to work, spending ten full days refining sixteen hundred mid-grade Jade Marrow Pills.
Keeping six hundred in reserve, he distributed all the rest in one go.
They were not handed out for free, but made available for internal members to purchase at half price, just as before.
Were the Luotian Association cultivators willing?
Every single one would answer that they would buy as many as were offered!
Although mid-grade Jade Marrow Pills were only potent enough to serve early- and mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivators, when supplied in abundance, the results were remarkable.
After all, not everyone could live like Luo Chen, wolfing down pills like meals.
Now that Luo Chen was releasing them at half-price for internal members, even the logistics cultivators tightened their belts, gritting their teeth to purchase several bottles.
Luo Chen had only three demands for them.
During this period, no one was permitted to step outside.
The War Hall cultivators were to bolster their combat techniques and master their newly acquired dharma artifacts.
The logistics cultivators were to consume pills without reservation and strive to raise their cultivation.
Amid these brisk, intense preparations, anyone could sense the gathering storm.
As for their guild master, Luo Chen, once his pill refining ended, he vanished from everyone's sight.
...
In Mount Changyin.
Luo Chen rode a white cloud, his robes flapping loudly in the wind.
He made no attempt to conceal his aura, surveying Mount Changyin like a visiting monarch.
Clearly, he was not the sovereign of Mount Changyin.
Consequently, a low howl soon echoed out, expressing displeasure at his brazen insolence.
Looking at the aged, giant wolf that appeared atop the mountain peak, Luo Chen's mind was clear and tranquil.
In this brief reconnaissance, he had already confirmed his suspicion.
Over the past full year, whether it was the frost giant wolves of Mount Changyin or the gray-leaf wolves of Mount Huiye, their main packs had not returned.
Those left behind were, after all, only the old, weak, sick, and crippled.
Yet what seemed "old and weak" to him were genuine, mortal threats in the eyes of ordinary Qi Refinement cultivators.
"A second-tier frost demon wolf... quite a fine sparring partner."
The corners of Luo Chen's mouth curled slightly, and he opened his mouth to exhale.
Instantly, a flash of sword light shot out.
Atop the peak, the demon wolf watched with cold indifference, casually swiping a claw.
*Chi! Chi! Chi!*
Three sharp ice spikes shot forth, knocking the sword light askew in an instant.
To the naked eye, the source of that sword light was a sword pill.
In its advanced age, the wolf had gradually attained spiritual intelligence.
Thus, seeing a human take the initiative to provoke it filled it with immense perplexity.
A mere Qi Refinement cultivator dared to be so arrogant?
Seeing the sword pill dart toward it once more, the wolf did not dodge. It extended a paw, intending to snatch it.
Dense layers of frost condensed over its massive claw.
Yet before the sword pill even reached it, it abruptly transformed into surging golden light.
The golden light was blinding, manifesting into dozens, even hundreds of sword beams that encircled the mountain peak layer upon layer.
Such an attack was nothing to it.
The demon wolf snorted two streams of white vapor from its nostrils, sweeping them across the air.
Wherever the white vapor passed, the air froze in dense layers of solid ice.
Every sword beam dissipated upon striking the ice sheet.
As the white vapor whistled back, the demon wolf lost its patience; it had no intention of playing around with this human any longer.
It still had a litter of young wolf cubs to tend to; if another beast wandered into the canyon, the loss would far outweigh any gain.
Yet before it could move, an instinctive sense of mortal danger welled up from the depths of its heart, flooding its entire body.
*Awoo!*
A shrill howl erupted, and layer upon layer of thick ice walls suddenly surged over the mountain peak.
In the distant sky, Luo Chen watched this unfold as the miniature sun cradled in his hand grew ever more searing.
"Alert, aren't you?"
"Indeed, the older the beast, the keener the senses."
With a chuckle, Luo Chen lightly relaxed his grip.
That miniature sun plummeted directly toward the summit of Mount Changyin.
*BOOM!!!*
A tremendous explosion detonated.
Terrifying spiritual power, scorching heat, and an unmatched blast enveloped the summit in an instant.
*Bang!*
A horrifying spectacle unfolded.
A colossal fireball, brilliant as the sun and crimson as a blooming red lotus, roared thunderously, accompanied by countless minute detonations within.
Like a chain reaction, it ultimately formed an unimaginable resonance.
Under the azure sky, waves of fire rippled outward, layer after layer.
In that violent explosion, the towering peak shattered abruptly.
Jagged boulders scattered amid the clashing fury of ice and fire.
Beneath the searing heat, a massive white wolf—its fur scorched black, enveloped in mingling steam and chill mist—leapt down from midair.
Its chest was a mangled mess of flesh and blood.
Its left front paw was bent at a grotesque angle, dripping pale blood.
It was wounded, and severely so!
*Wooo...*
Its furious howls were sharp and unending.
Its eyes rolled wildly, nostrils flaring as it sniffed frantically.
It searched desperately for its foe, yet no matter how it searched, not a trace of the enemy remained.
...
Inside a narrow mine tunnel, Luo Chen strode forward.
His expression was relaxed, showing no signs of strain.
*That old wolf is quite something!*
*Even among second-tier demon beasts, it ranks as a formidable one, fully comparable to a human Foundation Establishment cultivator.*
Luo Chen knew very well that the old wolf had not exerted its full strength at all in the beginning.
The only time it went all out was primarily to defend itself.
And defense was never the forte of demon wolves.
Their strengths lay in speed and offense.
Yet Luo Chen was not disappointed; he had tested his technique, now optimized to its absolute limit.
The advanced version of the Great Perfection Fireball Art—the Blazing Sun Art!
Rushed for time just now, he had only unleashed half its power, yet it had reduced that formidable frost giant wolf to such a wretched state.
It had likely sustained considerable injuries as well.
Given sufficient time, it could definitely threaten a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator.
*This way, I finally possess a genuine means of self-preservation.*
Luo Chen was very clear about his own strengths and weaknesses.
Compared to Foundation Establishment True Cultivators, his weaknesses were insufficient spiritual power, an inability to project spiritual sense, and abysmal defensive capability.
His strength was a speed that rivaled Foundation Establishment True Cultivators, perhaps even slightly edging them out.
After all, even the Jade Cauldron sword cultivators—renowned for their swift flight—had once looked upon his speed with surprise.
If he had only speed, he would at most be an annoying fly.
Now that he had optimized the Great Perfection Fireball Art to its apex, he was no longer merely a fly.
Extreme speed combined with explosive attacks capable of threatening the Foundation Establishment stage: in a brief confrontation, he was already a match for an ordinary Foundation Establishment True Cultivator.
"Counting the days, it's about time the Nangong family gave me an explanation."
With a cold sneer, Luo Chen stepped out of the mine tunnel.
Arriving within the Luotian Association, his gaze swept across Crescent Moon Valley inside and out.
With his attainment in the Spirit Eye Art, he could thoroughly inspect every trace of spiritual fluctuation.
The remaining twenty-odd late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators of the War Hall had not left the valley.
The Gold Hall and Pill Hall, however, offered him a pleasant surprise.
Nurtured without stinting on spirit beast meat and Jade Marrow Pills, over the course of half a month, several long-stagnant sixth-layer Qi Refinement cultivators had actually broken through to the seventh layer.
Thus, the War Hall's numbers could be slightly replenished.
None of this, however, was the primary matter.
Soon, a voice sounded by his ear.
Giving an imperceptible nod, Luo Chen summoned a floating cloud and set off toward the Guyuan Mountain Range.
Ten li behind him, a hemp-clad figure trailed closely in tow.
Half an hour later.
Luo Chen cautiously came to a stop within Mount Qinghe.
"I didn't expect you to be the one coming, Senior."
On a stone terrace halfway up the mountain meant for resting, a middle-aged man in luxurious attire turned around.
He offered a faint smile. "Isn't it me you wished to see?"
Nangong Jin, patriarch of the Nangong family.
Strictly speaking, this was the first time Luo Chen had met him face to face.
In the past, whenever deals were negotiated with the Nangong family, Nangong Qin had been his contact.
Luo Chen's eyes flickered, landing beneath a large tree beside the stone terrace.
Another familiar figure lay slumped there in a heap.
"I have no intention of making things difficult for the Luotian Association, much less any reason to disrespect the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect. The beast tide was by no means the doing of my Nangong family. I hope you will weigh this carefully, young friend."
Nangong Jin spoke with calm eloquence, his tone completely free of guilt.
He pointed toward the unconscious man.
"This man is the former Beast Hall master of the Mountain Breaker Gang. After the gang was destroyed, my Nangong family and the Li family divided the Beast Hall's resources. He sought refuge with us, though he has only ever managed miscellaneous chores in the beast pens on our behalf. Some time ago, when our family closed our gates, many matters were entrusted to him. Therefore, this beast tide was entirely his doing alone."
*Swoosh!*
A streak of spiritual power shot out.
The unconscious man twitched twice, then opened his eyes in dazed confusion.
His first glance caught Nangong Jin, and he instinctively put on a fawning smile.
His second glance caught Luo Chen, and his body recoiled a step in instinctive dread.
Luo Chen stared fixedly at him, catching the man's panic and the sudden constriction of his pupils.
Nangong Jin smiled faintly. "Young friend, ask whatever you wish. An explanation is due today, after all."
With that, he stepped back some distance away.
Luo Chen did not hold back either, stepping forward to close the distance.
"Ke Yuelin, long time no see."
Ke Yuelin opened his mouth, then managed an awkward smile. "Yeah, long time no see. Er... congratulations, Luo Chen. You're a guild master now, far more impressive than before. We..."
"You know that isn't what I want to ask," Luo Chen said, shaking his head.
Ke Yuelin's eyes darted frantically, searching for an excuse.
Luo Chen, however, had already run out of patience. A vivid green light flared in his eyes.
In an instant, Ke Yuelin fell under his gaze, feeling as though he had stepped into dense, impenetrable fog.
It was as if he had encountered his natural predator; his entire body began to tremble violently.
"Oh?"
Not far away, Nangong Jin let out a surprised murmur.
Luo Chen ignored him, looking down at Ke Yuelin.
"Where did the second-tier exploding ape cub come from?"
"Purchased from a hunter rogue cultivator in the Guyuan Mountain Range. The Nangong family has always had a tradition of raising demon beast cubs, hoping to tame them into spirit beasts."
"A rogue cultivator? Which rogue cultivator?"
"Don't know. Only know his surname was... Li. Ninth layer of Qi Refinement."
Luo Chen frowned. Surnamed Li?
And of such high cultivation.
Could it be a cultivator from the Dahe Market's Li family?
He continued his questioning. "Why sell it specifically to Liu Qiang? As far as I know, he doesn't make a habit of buying beasts from clan cultivators. You contacted him on your own initiative."
"Someone told me the Luotian Association was buying up first-tier demon beasts in bulk, alive. So, hoping to fetch a high price..."
"Who told you?"
Ke Yuelin, lying on the ground, struggled for a fleeting second.
He opened his mouth, but what spilled out was completely irrelevant to the question.
"What right does that Luo Chen have? Favored by Mi Shuhua, then courted by Jade Cauldron Foundation Establishment seniors... I won't accept it! Just a kid who struck dumb luck, yet everyone fawns over him! What 'Lord of the Luotian Association'? Nothing but a bunch of homeless, stray dogs huddling for warmth! Boohoo... I'm the real stray dog, looked down upon by everyone! The Nangong family, those ungrateful beasts—I tended their beast pens, yet they snatched away my Foundation Establishment spirit medicine! Don't let me get a chance, or I'll definitely..."
Luo Chen's face darkened.
Without even turning his head, the corner of his eye caught Nangong Jin's thoroughly unsightly expression nearby.
Refusing to listen to any more of this nonsense, the green light in Luo Chen's eyes surged once more.
Faintly, a phantom silhouette seemed to hover over Ke Yuelin's head.
Calibrating the strength of the God-Deterring Technique to serve solely for intimidation, Luo Chen asked in a deep voice, "Speak! Who told you that the Luotian Association was buying demon beasts?"
"It was... Duan... *Pffft!*"
A mouthful of blood sprayed straight out.
Ke Yuelin's pupils dilated abruptly, his eyes nearly popping from their sockets.
Veins bulged across his forehead, his mouth gaping wide.
Both hands clutched tightly at his neck, and silence fell for a long while.
Having dodged the spray of blood, Luo Chen stood up, his face dark.
Ke Yuelin was dead!
"Fellow Daoist, impressive methods!"
"Young friend" had turned into "Fellow Daoist"?
The corner of Luo Chen's mouth twitched. "Merely a crude utilization of the soul, hardly fit for refined company."
Indeed, it was only a crude utilization.
Presently, the foundation of Luo Chen's soul far exceeded ordinary Qi Refinement rogue cultivators, rivaling that of Foundation Establishment True Cultivators.
The Soul-Deterring Technique inherently possessed the power to intimidate foes.
Channeling it through the Great Perfection Spirit Eye Art against Ke Yuelin, who had no power to resist, naturally gave him free rein to extract whatever he wanted.
Unfortunately, the man's soul had abruptly disintegrated at the very end, preventing him from obtaining further intelligence.
Nangong Jin strolled over, gazing down at Ke Yuelin, whose eyes remained unclosed in death.
"A Foundation Establishment True Cultivator must have laid a seal on him, forbidding him from speaking the truth under penalty of having his soul explode on the spot."
"There aren't many Foundation Establishment True Cultivators in Dahe Market, are there?"
Nangong Jin froze, raising his eyes.
He found Luo Chen regarding him with a faint, knowing smile.
Nangong Jin gave a casual laugh. "Since I dared to bring him before you, my conscience is naturally clear. Besides, after your interrogation just now, I imagine you already have a good idea!"
"The Li family? Or the Duan family?"
Those were the only two surnames Ke Yuelin had uttered earlier.
Nangong Jin reined in his smile and said gravely, "If it was the Li family, then it was aimed at my Nangong family. The two of our clans have old grudges and conflicts of interest—the irreconcilable sort. Using my Nangong family's hands, whether it killed you or merely offended you, my family would reap no benefit once the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect returns. But if it was the Duan family..."
Nangong Jin frowned, unable for the moment to recall any grievance between them and the Duan family.
After all, there was once a time when they had nearly become related by marriage.
"There is a direct descendant of the Duan family in our association who harbors hatred toward them," Luo Chen remarked impassively.
Nangong Jin hesitated. "Meaning... framing someone else to shift blame? Murdering with a borrowed knife?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, he shook his head.
"Yet doing so seems far too much trouble for such an end. If a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator wishes to kill, why resort to such methods?"
"I possess protective measures left by Elder Pang Renxiong. Any overly conspicuous method would inevitably leave behind evidence and gossip."
Hearing this, Nangong Jin pursed his lips almost imperceptibly.
Luo Chen looked down at Ke Yuelin's corpse and murmured to himself, "Then the crux of the matter lies in who placed the soul restriction upon him..."
"A soul restriction is an advanced technique," Nangong Jin said. "As far as I know, the Duan family excels at artifact forging and is quite adept with formations and restrictions. As for that female cultivator of the Li family, she practices the Pagoda Tree Yin Art and is similarly versed in such arts."
The truth reached an impasse once again.
Luo Chen and Nangong Jin looked at each other, then shared a tacit smile as though sharing a single mind.
"None of that matters anymore, does it?"
"Indeed. Casting aside past grievances and cooperating in earnest is what matters most."
"And the supply of Jade Marrow Pills?"
"As usual. I've brought fifty bottles with me today."
"Good! Good! Good!"
After handing over the pills, Luo Chen flew away without sparing another glance at Ke Yuelin's corpse.
Once he departed, a figure hurried up from below the stone terrace.
"Father, why be so polite to him?"
Nangong Qin was bewildered.
He admitted that Luo Chen possessed extraordinary traits, and thus he had long ceased looking down on him.
Yet his father was an esteemed Foundation Establishment True Cultivator; why did he need to be so approachable?
Nangong Jin, however, gazed warily into the distance.
"Politeness, naturally, comes from strength."
"Strength?"
Nangong Qin did not understand.
He was still unable to project his spiritual sense outward and could not detect their surroundings.
Nangong Jin, however, could easily sense an entity several li away radiating an aura without any concealment.
It was an aura by no means inferior to that of a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator.
It had to be that expert from the Luotian Association's War Hall.
"Furthermore..."
Nangong Jin handed the storage bag to Nangong Qin.
"If our Nangong family is to return to its prime, pills are indispensable. With this batch of Jade Marrow Pills, those juniors trapped at the sixth layer of Qi Refinement should be able to break through."
Nangong Qin nodded in deep agreement.
Lately, purchasing pills in Dahe Market had become increasingly difficult.
In the past, one could rely on the Lianyun Merchant Alliance and the Zhenlong Black Market.
Yet for reasons unknown, the Lianyun Merchant Alliance's pill prices had climbed higher and higher of late.
Over at the Zhenlong Black Market, the quantity of pills trickling out was also dwindling.
When the Luotian Association contracted earlier and stopped supplying Jade Marrow Pills to the major Foundation Establishment forces, it had thoroughly clamped down on the Nangong family's throat.
It was precisely to restore the supply of pills that father and son had mobilized together today.
"And this man?" Nangong Qin glanced toward Ke Yuelin's corpse.
"A mere rogue cultivator daring to harbor resentment toward my Nangong family. He got off easy in death."
Nangong Jin sneered and cast a Fireball Art.
Raging flames consumed the remains, and the former master of the Mountain Breaker Gang's Beast Hall was reduced to ash just like that.
Brushing away the light soot, Nangong Jin walked to the edge of the stone terrace with his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance at the figure vanishing on the horizon.
"No wonder you said back then that the pressure he gave you rivaled that of a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator."
"This young man's soul foundation is actually so powerful. If he manages to advance to Foundation Establishment, his initial spiritual sense projection will likely span no less than five li!"
"Moreover, he possesses remarkable courage, conversing with confidence and composure even before me. He indeed has qualities worthy of catching the eye of a Golden Core Master."
When ordinary cultivators achieved Foundation Establishment, their initial spiritual sense projection spanned only around two li.
Five li was already more than double that of ordinary men.
Luo Chen's soul foundation was actually that formidable?
Hearing this glowing appraisal, Nangong Qin felt a jolt in his heart.
That Luo Chen was favored by a Golden Core Master of the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect and gifted a token of recognition was already an open secret among the various Foundation Establishment figures of Dahe Market.
Now it seemed it was truly no falsehood.
"Qin'er, you should interact with this man more often in the future."
"But Father, regarding that Qin Liangchen..."
"In certain matters, what is picked up must also be put down. He killed many of our clan cultivators, but has he not paid the price as well?"
Nangong Qin sighed. "We need allies—an ally not overly strong, yet of sufficient value!"
"But didn't you speak of shifting the misfortune elsewhere?"
"Heh-heh. That will depend on whether they can prove their worth."
Chapter 178