Within Crescent Moon Valley, numerous wooden cabins and stone dwellings had been constructed along the mountainsides.
This was the inner sanctum, generally reserved for those holding key positions within the association.
Cultivators of lower cultivation and status mostly resided in the stone quarters expanded outward from the valley.
Yet the quiet Crescent Moon Valley of the past had grown far less peaceful of late.
From time to time, muffled beastly roars echoed up from deep underground, rolling in successive waves through the encircled valley—a truly vexing disturbance.
Even so, no one dared voice dissatisfaction or protest.
Every single person knew where those roars came from.
Deep beneath the earth.
Inside the vast cavern, furious roars erupted without pause, and iron chains as thick as a man's arm rattled violently amidst frantic struggles.
If an ordinary rogue cultivator were here, they would have wet themselves in terror long ago.
After all, that enraged demon beast was a second-tier exploding ape!
Yet Luo Chen, sitting cross-legged atop a boulder opposite the beast, paid it no mind at all.
A jade slip was pressed to his forehead, his eyes tightly shut.
Only after a long while did he finally lower the slip.
"Following the methods in the Myriad Beast Scripture, I have tormented this beast for seven full days."
"It has also lost its demon core and has no strength left to resist."
"Under this double blow, paired with the Spirit Controlling Pill given by Tianxingzi and combined with a cultivator's spiritual sense, it can be subjugated."
"Though I cannot project my spiritual sense outward, with the foundation of my divine soul and the God-Deterring Technique, I should still be able to achieve the standard required by the Myriad Beast Scripture."
Taking a deep breath, his white robes fluttered without any wind.
A formidable surge of spiritual power welled up from within him, billowing outward and swelling his white robes taut.
Suddenly!
A fierce gust whipped through the cavern as Luo Chen snapped his eyes open.
An eerie emerald radiance illuminated the cavern, locking onto the exploding ape.
The second-tier exploding ape glared back, and seeing its tormentor, it let out a roar of sheer savagery.
*Roar!*
"Now is the moment!"
Without hesitation, Luo Chen fixed his glowing green eyes straight into the depths of the beast's mind.
Flicking his finger, he sent a medicinal pill shooting forth, landing directly into the ape's forced-open abdomen.
A massive surge of Luo Chen's spiritual power coursed through the exploding ape's body, passively refining the Spirit Controlling Pill.
At the same time, a silent clash of divine souls erupted between them.
Time ticked away, second by second.
The span of a cup of tea, the burning of an incense stick...
Luo Chen's face grew paler and paler, his aura steadily declining for all to see.
Yet his eyes only shone brighter.
Abruptly!
The green light flared brilliantly. The exploding ape gave a mournful shriek and collapsed onto its knees.
Luo Chen rose fluidly and drifted through the air until he hovered above the ape's head.
His hands moved in a flurry, weaving one hand seal after another.
In the empty air, an archaic cyan sigil gradually took shape.
This was the Spirit Controlling Seal!
The instant the seal formed, Luo Chen pressed a single palm downward.
As the cyan sigil descended, the exploding ape's body shuddered continuously, a faint urge to resist still stirring within it.
Yet until the Spirit Controlling Seal sank entirely into its crown, it never rose again.
*Thud!*
Having completed it all, Luo Chen dropped to the ground, staggering and nearly losing his balance.
"To think subjugating a second-tier demon beast would be this difficult!"
This second-tier exploding ape was renowned for its thick hide, hardy flesh, and explosive fire-attributed attacks.
However, it was by no means proficient in the ways of the soul.
Moreover, it had been imprisoned for so long, stripped of its demon core, and driven to utter exhaustion.
Even so, Luo Chen had expended tremendous effort just to barely succeed.
"A clash of divine souls is perilous indeed."
"If not for my unwavering willpower in that final moment, combined with the efficacy of the Spirit Controlling Pill, all would have been lost."
With a trace of lingering fear, Luo Chen looked upon the kneeling ape.
It stood fifteen feet tall; even on its knees, it loomed far above him.
Yet the ape had lost its wild, feral demeanor. Its large, round eyes were filled entirely with dread and fear.
As Luo Chen stepped forward, it instinctively shrank back in fright.
To any onlooker, the scene would have appeared bizarre beyond belief.
One tall, one short; one at the second tier, the other at Qi Refinement.
Yet their status and presence were completely reversed.
Suddenly, the ape's retreating body froze.
A look of extreme longing surfaced in its wide eyes.
For in Luo Chen's hand lay a crimson demon core—the very core that had once belonged to it!
"From now on, your name shall be Xiao Hong."
***
Emerging from the mining cavern, Luo Chen immediately issued orders.
He had people deliver large quantities of spirit-rich food to feed Xiao Hong.
He wanted to restore Xiao Hong's strength as quickly as possible.
This was a genuine second-tier demon beast, possessing formidable combat strength and immense resilience.
If it could be restored to its peak, the Luotian Association would possess a second-tier guardian beast—a deterrent that no one could afford to ignore.
In the unfolding situation ahead, Luo Chen needed this beast as a trump card.
After handing down the orders, Luo Chen's steps were somewhat unsteady.
Whether it was clashing with the ape's soul, suppressing it, or executing the Spirit Controlling Seal, the toll on him was currently immense.
He needed time to recover.
Unfortunately, some people were determined not to give him that time.
Inside Bright Moon Hall.
Sima Huiniang spoke with a tense expression. "According to Sima Xian's reports, the scouts spying on our Luotian Association have been increasing recently."
"Our medicinal pill business has also hit several snags."
"Many rogue cultivators are voicing dissatisfaction with our prices."
"The Duan family has gone even further, sending a letter demanding an additional twenty-percent discount on top of their existing twenty-percent off."
Luo Chen massaged his temples, his face darkening.
"Discounts? Why don't they snap our spines instead?"
"If they won't leave us a shred of profit, the Luotian Association might as well disband!"
"What did the other factions say?"
Facing Luo Chen's suppressed fury, Sima Huiniang smiled bitterly.
"The Chen family has taken no stance and continues to purchase goods as usual."
"The Li family has also demanded a discount, asking to increase their discount from twenty percent to thirty percent."
"The Nangong family remains unchanged and hasn't caused trouble, but their transactions regarding beast milk and demon beast meat have grown increasingly sluggish."
Hearing these reports, Luo Chen's expression turned as heavy as water.
Yet the next piece of news caused him to crush the teacup in his hand.
"The Great River Gang sent an ultimatum demanding the sales rights for the Jade Marrow Pill. They wish to monopolize its distribution and transport it to Taishan Market for sale."
*Crack!*
The teacup shattered, Luo Chen's face clouded with grim coldness.
"Huiniang, step outside for now."
"I need to be alone."
Sima Huiniang hesitated, wanting to speak, but in the end, she quietly took her leave.
After she departed, Luo Chen's countenance remained dark.
He knew that as time dragged on and the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect failed to return, the days he could borrow their tiger's skin to intimidate others would only dwindle.
Sooner or later, someone would see through the bluff.
Yet he had not anticipated that the moves against him would come in such an overwhelming tide.
It was not a single faction, but several acting in concert!
Among them, the Great River Gang and the Duan family were the most aggressive.
One possessed vast numbers and influence, while the other was pushed to the brink, making a desperate final struggle.
Such seamless tacit understanding clearly pointed to collusion.
None dared to openly attack the Luotian Association, yet they were steadily probing its limits.
Whether demanding price cuts or demanding sales rights, they were striking at the very foundation of the association.
Their blades were pointed directly at Luo Chen!
"All I ever wanted was to refine pills in peace and cultivate toward immortality. Yet there are always those determined to force my hand!"
"You want to push me?"
Luo Chen took a deep breath and slowly closed his eyes.
"Then someone will have to pay the price."
"The me of today is not someone you can provoke with impunity."
The Foundation Establishment Pill promised by Tianxingzi remained nowhere to be seen.
The faction he had built with his own hands stood on the verge of peril.
And now, people were setting their sights directly on him.
Luo Chen was thoroughly sick of it all.
In the past, he might have swallowed his pride and let others have their way.
But that was then, and this was now!
Wang Yuan's rising strength, the successful subjugation of the second-tier exploding ape, and the refinement of his own methods...
With all these factors aligned, killing intent had fully awakened within him!
"Huiniang, assemble the three hall masters—Wang, Gu, and Murong—and call Elder Duan Feng as well!"
His chilled voice rang out, echoing within the hall.
Waiting outside for some time, Sima Huiniang responded without the slightest hesitation.
"Understood, Association Master!"
***
"I intend to attack the Duan family, raze their mountain, and eradicate their clan!"
Inside Bright Moon Hall.
A single straightforward sentence instantly stunned the gathered crowd, who had hurried over with doubts in their hearts.
Sima Huiniang had never imagined that the decision Luo Chen reached after careful deliberation would be this.
"Association Master!"
Gu Caiyi's face drained of color. "Luo Chen, have you gone mad?"
"Although the various factions have been suppressing our Luotian Association recently, the Duan family possesses a Foundation Establishment ancestor. How can we move against them so lightly?" Murong Qinglian said with deep worry. "Association Master, you must think twice!"
Seated at the very end, Duan Feng's eyes lit up in an instant.
Wang Yuan sat in his seat, raising an eyebrow before sinking into contemplation.
Every expression was captured in Luo Chen's gaze.
He said in a deep voice, "I did not call you here to negotiate, but to declare my decision."
The room fell dead silent.
This was an announcement, not a discussion.
Only at this moment did everyone truly feel the increasingly heavy authority Luo Chen possessed.
His usual smiling demeanor and casual irreverence were nowhere to be found.
In their place was an unyielding decisiveness, baring its fangs.
The first to respond was Duan Feng.
"When do we strike?"
"I am willing to take the vanguard!"
The second to respond was Sima Huiniang.
"If we are to strike against a Foundation Establishment faction, we cannot make a grand spectacle of it like we did against the Fu family."
"We must plan meticulously and strike to kill!"
Sitting side by side, Murong Qinglian and Gu Caiyi exchanged a glance, their gazes turning resolute.
"As for intelligence, my Gold Hall will provide full support. Elder Zeng Wen possesses wide connections and will surely help select the most opportune moment," Gu Caiyi said.
"Do not worry about logistics. Within a short time, I will gather as many resources as possible," Murong Qinglian said.
Finally, Wang Yuan chuckled freely.
"In this battle, count me in!"
Seeing each of them take a stance, the taut expression on Luo Chen's face finally softened.
Good!
Regardless of whether they could pull it off, unifying their resolve was paramount.
The worst scenario was having hawks and doves divide the ranks, which would inevitably breed internal chaos.
With a united front established, Luo Chen's tone eased.
"This battle must be fought."
"The reason is the same as when we attacked the Fu family: strike one solid punch to prevent a hundred blows from coming. In fact, this battle will be the true founding battle of our Luotian Association!"
Last time, there had still been Miao Wen looking out for them from above.
The various Foundation Establishment True Cultivators had stayed their hands out of respect for Miao Wen.
This time, however, the Luotian Association had no backing whatsoever.
Every aspect, both before and after the battle, had to be taken into account.
"We must flex our muscles and display our might. Only then will the Foundation Establishment factions take us seriously!"
"The sects have completely withdrawn from Dahe Market, and rogue cultivators are dwindling, leaving vast amounts of resources vacant."
"If we can replace the Duan family, the Luotian Association will enter a period of true rapid growth."
"When that time comes, every one of you seated here will have hope of reaching Foundation Establishment!"
If his earlier words had merely outlined the war's necessity to the Luotian Association,
his final sentence struck straight at the hearts of every ninth-layer Qi Refinement cultivator present.
Among the seven gathered, the eldest were Wang Yuan and Murong Qinglian,
while the youngest were Luo Chen and Gu Caiyi.
Yet none of them were over sixty years old.
Each of them was at the ninth layer of Qi Refinement, standing before the threshold of taking another step forward.
Yet everyone understood that a mere Luotian Association could never support so many Foundation Establishment cultivators.
However, if they seized enough resources, combined with Luo Chen's magnanimity—which was nothing like Mi Shuhua's narrow-mindedness—
the Luotian Association might genuinely produce several Foundation Establishment True Cultivators.
Anyone could see that Luo Chen had the broad-mindedness to accommodate talent!
As long as one remained loyal to him, he was never stingy with rewards.
Even in the early days of the Luotian Association, he had offered handsome stipends.
If this faction grew to rival the Mountain Breaker Gang of old, it would certainly not produce just a single Foundation Establishment cultivator like that laughable precedent.
For a moment, all six cultivators of the Luotian Association felt a surge of fervent ambition.
If nothing else, Sima Huiniang was already deeply moved.
She was merely a step away from the Great Perfection of Qi Refinement.
Before joining the Luotian Association, she had been scheming to acquire Foundation Establishment spiritual herbs with the aid of her two brothers.
Unfortunately, during that great battle, she had depleted much of her reserves just to survive and heal her injuries.
It was precisely to gather resources that she had chosen to join the Luotian Association later on.
Luo Chen was thoroughly satisfied with their reactions; this was exactly what he wanted to see.
Foundation Establishment was hard to come by—not just for him, but for every rogue cultivator!
Everything else was empty talk.
Only the prospect of Foundation Establishment had the power to truly stir their souls.
Sima Huiniang immediately stepped into her role, analyzing the balance of power for the coming war.
"The Duan family has a population of barely over a thousand, and most are mortals. Cultivators account for only ten to twenty percent."
"Among them, those in the late stage of Qi Refinement number little more than a dozen, and those at the ninth layer are merely six."
"In terms of core strength, they are inferior to our Luotian Association!"
Murong Qinglian glanced at Duan Feng, whose breathing had grown ragged, and took over the conversation.
"We must consider that the Duan family is an artifact-crafting clan. Most of their cultivators possess decent dharma artifacts."
Before she could finish, someone interrupted.
"There is no need to worry about that!" Duan Feng could not help but cut in. "Most artifacts possessed by the Duan family cultivators are mid-grade. Only those six people have full sets of high-grade dharma artifacts."
"Meanwhile, our Luotian Association has weathered several major battles. Cultivators have come and gone, and the current equipment of our Battle Hall cultivators definitely surpasses all other factions!"
"And most importantly, the combat capability of clan cultivators is inferior to sect cultivators, though superior to ordinary rogue cultivators. Yet compared to the cultivators of our Luotian Association, they fall far short!"
His analysis was remarkably lucid.
Watching Duan Feng speak with such fluid confidence, the others could only sigh in realization that no one understood the Duan family better than he did.
He had likely turned these thoughts over in his mind countless times over the past months.
"If we launch this war, as long as that old dog does not emerge, our Luotian Association will surely prevail!" Duan Feng declared with ringing certainty.
Luo Chen nodded. It seemed Duan Feng had not been blinded by hatred after all.
He had never forgotten Duan Qiankun.
"Thus, our primary concern remains that Foundation Establishment True Cultivator, Duan Qiankun," Sima Huiniang said solemnly.
Her caution was fully justified; after all, he was an aged Foundation Establishment expert of immense experience.
Though his remaining lifespan was meager, his combat prowess was undeniably formidable.
Luo Chen's eyes flickered. "Duan Feng, how much do you know about Duan Qiankun?"
Duan Feng took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down from his agitation.
He said coldly, "The cultivation method he practices is the Duan family's inherited second-tier water-attribute technique—the Canghai Wave-Severing Art. During the Qi Refinement stage, it comes with three spells. At Foundation Establishment, it includes two spells: the Canghai Triple Wave and the Wave-Severing Strike. Generally, Duan family cultivators do not invest much effort into spells, relying mostly on dharma artifacts. Only the Wave-Severing Strike can be combined with artifacts, so it warrants serious attention."
"As for the old dog's artifacts, if nothing has changed drastically over the past year, he still relies on his three staple treasures."
"The top-grade water-attribute flying sword, the Heluo Sword; the top-grade Qiankun Shroud; and his protective magic treasure, the Zeguo Gui Chart."
As he reached the end, his voice unconsciously lowered.
Everyone exchanged glances of sheer astonishment.
A magic treasure?!
Chapter 180