Dan Yuanzi, Someone Has Been Waiting for You

"Is this all you've got?" "Why are you dodging!" "You call yourself a body cultivator?" Shouts of thunderous rage erupted across the plains outside the mountain. A colossal figure, treading clouds and chasing the moon, relentlessly battered the figure before him. Under Wang Yuan's onslaught, Lu Rong was forced back step after step. The archaic armor encasing his entire body shattered inch by inch under the impacts. Though black smoke constantly billowed from inside him to repair the armor, within just a few breaths it was battered into tattered ruins once more. Fissures crisscrossed across it like cracked earth during a drought. Under Wang Yuan's bombardment, it looked utterly fragile. "Why!" "How can someone's body cultivation reach such heights?!" "This man's ferocity is simply absurd!" Lu Rong was shaken to the core. Again and again he resisted with all his might, yet again and again he was beaten back. His face flushed crimson, blood seeping from the corners of his mouth. "No, this won't work!" "His body cultivation realm is above mine. I can't defeat him with body cultivator methods—I must use the Fire God tobacco pipe." The thought flashed through his mind. Taking the brunt of one of Wang Yuan's blows, he used the momentum to retreat dozens of zhang, and the pitch-black tobacco pipe materialized in his hand once more. Without any hesitation, he put it in his mouth. Not far off, the five-meter-tall giant came to a halt, looking at him with a sneer. His thick finger thrust forward, seemingly slow yet impossibly fast. "If you cultivate qi, cultivate qi; if you cultivate the body, cultivate the body! The moment you see you're outmatched, you change your tune on the spot—just what kind of Dao do you think you're cultivating?!" As that finger stabbed out, a blast of blood-red force shot forth. Lu Rong's heart trembled. Just as he was about to risk his life to unleash a strike from the Fire God tobacco pipe, he caught sight from the corner of his eye of a seven-colored spear streaking out from Danxia Peak, flying straight at him. Its terrifying might struck sheer terror into his very soul. The movement of his hands slowed for a split second. That single instant was all it took! By the time he recovered his senses and tried to channel the magical treasure's power, the blood-colored force had already pierced right through between his brows. The Fire God Armor, sturdy enough to withstand a superior-grade flying sword, offered no resistance at all and crumbled instantly. His eyes wide with lingering hatred and shock, he plummeted toward the earth. Reflected in his hollow gaze, the seven-colored spear paused above him for a fleeting moment before continuing its flight into the distance. Wang Yuan glanced at the spear, his soul trembling slightly. *Is this the power of an array master who has prepared in advance, waiting at ease for an exhausted enemy?* *Could I have withstood such a strike?* *Fortunately, he is a friend, not a foe!* Wang Yuan could tell that Min Longyu had intended to aid him just now. Furthermore, it truly had diverted Lu Rong's attention, preventing him from gathering the power for his magical treasure's final strike. Otherwise, given Wang Yuan's current massive stature, dodging would have been impossible; he would have had to take it head-on. Even if he could have endured that blow, he would have been severely wounded afterward. He had originally prepared himself to trade injury for Lu Rong's life, but now he had emerged completely unscathed. Without hesitation, he shrank back to normal size and flew toward Lu Rong's corpse. Behind his back, blood serpents hissed as they surged forth. He had said he would grant Lu Rong the most glorious death, and he meant to keep his word. "Become one with me!" Muttering softly, Wang Yuan seemed to become the king of myriad serpents, allowing the blood serpents to burrow into Lu Rong's corpse. A short while later, the blood serpents—their bodies visibly swollen as if fully sated—flew back and burrowed back into Wang Yuan. The towering beacon of vital qi rose visibly, swelling thicker by thirty percent! ... One li outside Danxia Peak lay a rolling foothill. It was the boundary where Danxia Peak met the outer plains. Due to its terrain and sparse spiritual energy, this foothill had never held much practical value and had long been neglected by the Luotian Association. Today, however, it had finally served a purpose. Pervasive mist filled the air, accompanied by surging, turbulent waves. Amid the roaring wash of water, Duan Feng stood atop the crest of a wave, swinging his longsword, a rattle drum hanging at his waist. This place had become his home ground! The Heluo Sword and water-attribute spells were used in seamless alternation. The combination of tool and technique was a secret art of his Duan family. It went beyond simply wielding a magical tool or casting a spell; instead, it utilized the magical tool to amplify the power of spells. Otherwise, with his cultivation at only the first layer of Foundation Establishment, it would have been impossible for him to contend with Fairy Miaoyu at the second layer. Even so, his current condition was far from comfortable. *Swoosh!* From within the waves, threads from a whisk suddenly shot out. Duan Feng's expression shifted slightly. He slapped the rattle drum at his waist. *Dong-dong!* The moment the sound echoed, an azure water shield sprang up at his flank, blocking the whisk threads. *Crash!* "Found you!" With a thought, Duan Feng slashed his longsword fiercely behind him. The waves parted, revealing an alluring figure. A cold sneer appeared on Fairy Miaoyu's face. With a flick of her whisk, she brushed aside the sword light. *Boom!* The sword light crashed into the foothill plains, letting out a deafening boom. Sensing the battlefield Duan Feng had constructed, Fairy Miaoyu sneered repeatedly. "Your combat methods are impressive enough. "First, you severely wounded me with an ambush, then you used home-field advantage to stall and suppress me, coordinating spells and magical tools to perfection. "Unfortunately, you have only just entered Foundation Establishment, and your spiritual power is thin. "How much longer can you keep up such an offensive?" Facing these piercing words, Duan Feng's face was grim enough to drip water. His spiritual power was indeed nearly exhausted. However, there was no way he would retreat. If someone like her were allowed to break into Danxia Peak, his family and friends would suffer utter catastrophe. He could never accept that. With a thought, a medium-grade spirit stone slipped into his palm. Seeing this, Fairy Miaoyu's expression changed slightly. "You're going to directly absorb the spiritual energy from a spirit stone? Do you want to ruin your sea of qi?!" "I will never retreat!" Duan Feng glared coldly at her, preparing to draw from the spirit stone in his hand. Suddenly, a voice transmission reached his ear. His expression flickered, and he stowed the spirit stone away. Seeing this, Miaoyu let out a contemptuous laugh. She had thought he was some unyielding, iron-willed man who would fight to the death. Turns out he was just a coward after all. Yet seeing him surge with all his remaining spiritual power to prepare a final strike, her smile vanished. A silk handkerchief fluttered from her waist, shrouding her entire body. "Once I withstand this strike, you will be entirely at my mercy!" Duan Feng acted as if he had not heard. Setting aside his longsword, he took hold of the rattle drum and twirled it rapidly. Wave after wave of spiritual power surged from his body, pouring into the drum. The waters around them, which had begun to recede, surged forward once more. Layer upon layer, the crashing waves stacked together and surged toward Miaoyu. Canghai Triple Wave! "This trick again!" "Repeating the same old move is useless against me!" Miaoyu sneered. Her silk handkerchief radiated layers of light, holding back the incoming waves. The whisk in her hand pulled taut as a sword, waiting only to weather this strike before claiming his head. *Crash!* When the final wave fell, Duan Feng collapsed exhaustedly to the ground, panting heavily. At this moment, he could not squeeze out another shred of spiritual power. His sea of qi was completely empty. Even the massive cloud of spiritual energy normally used to condense spiritual liquid had vanished. After this battle, even if he made it back alive, it would take several days just to reconvene the spiritual energy cloud before his cultivation could resume. His eyes fixed upon the woman whose figure emerged as the water mist dispersed. *Min Longyu, do not let me down!* "Out of tricks? Then wait for death!" Fairy Miaoyu scoffed, shaking her whisk as she prepared to unleash a killing strike. Yet in the very next instant, a seven-colored spear tore through the sky. It looked as if a rainbow from the heavens had plunged into the mortal realm. *Swoosh!* Fairy Miaoyu's expression turned to sheer terror. Three thousand whisk threads lashed out wildly, and her defensive handkerchief was driven to its absolute limits, blazing with brilliant radiance. Yet the seven-colored spear treated them as if they did not exist. Like a knife through tofu, it punctured layer after layer. *Boom!* Right on cue, as Duan Feng had hoped, a violent explosion thundered across the land. "Hall Master Duan, collect the spoils of war and return to Danxia Peak at once!" Min Longyu's spiritual sense transmission arrived again. Duan Feng did not hesitate. He struggled to his feet and walked over to Miaoyu's corpse. Her soul had long dispersed; she was entirely devoid of life. "A pity her storage bag was ruined. The harvest from this battle has taken a heavy hit." Picking up the whisk and the badly damaged silk handkerchief, he picked up her corpse and headed straight for Danxia Peak. When he made his arduous return to the mountain, he happened to cross paths with Xing Zonghan, who had returned heavily wounded and was being tended to by Murong Qinglian and her helpers. "Fellow Daoist Xing, it looks like your victory was a bloody one!" Xing Zonghan grinned broadly. "My great vengeance is avenged. Even if I died, it wouldn't matter." Duan Feng shook his head. Once upon a time, he had shared that exact mindset. Now, however, he had a family and could no longer afford to be so reckless. Nodding to Feng Xia nearby, he strode into the central hall of the Luotian Association. "Is Wang Yuan all right?" "He may have suffered some minor injuries, but nothing serious. I need to maintain the formation to guard against the eavesdroppers lurking outside. Take this jade token and send a voice transmission to the president, reporting our current situation!" Having said this, Min Longyu paused. "Can you manage that?" Duan Feng swallowed a Qi Harmonizing Pill and smiled knowingly. "No problem!" While the two were talking, several li away from Danxia Peak, onlookers were silent as cicadas in winter. They had watched the entire battle unfold from beginning to end. None of them had expected that five Foundation Establishment cultivators joining forces would fail to step a single foot through the mountain gates, all perishing outside the mountain instead. This dashed most of their thoughts of sneaking in during the chaos to pillage. Someone suggested: "After this battle, the Luotian Association's Foundation Establishment cultivators must be drained of qi and power. Shouldn't we..." "Forget it. They still have more up their sleeves." "Look!" Atop Danxia Peak, a misty barrier of light unfolded slowly. Countless rays of rosy dawn light converged from all directions, shrouding this cloud-piercing peak in a dreamlike spectacle. ... "Are you truly intent on making enemies of us?" "No!" Luo Chen's expression turned solemn. "It is you who are making an enemy of me!" Beside the Qinhua River, torrential rain poured down in torrents. Yet this downpour came quickly and left just as fast! Amid that heavy atmosphere, the wind ceased and the rain stopped before anyone realized it. Across the horizon, a seven-colored rainbow bridge spanned beyond the verdant hills. Even though the rain had stopped, the tension remained palpable. Luo Chen seemed to have forgotten to fold his oiled-paper umbrella, still holding it over his head. Faced with Luo Chen refusing to yield an inch, Hu Changxi found the situation exceedingly troublesome. "Eldest Brother, why waste words on him?" Hu Changnu said frenetically from the side, itching to charge in and kill. He simply refused to believe that Luo Chen could stop the three brothers. Hu Changxi shook his head, still reluctant to waste his spiritual power on Luo Chen. He could sense that more and more cultivators were gathering to watch. Among them, the number of Foundation Establishment cultivators had already reached double digits! There were even mid Foundation Establishment figures among them. If the three brothers suffered any losses, they would not be in full fighting condition to contest against mid Foundation Establishment powerhouses later. "Luo Chen, let me ask you one last time. Are you truly unwilling to back down?" "You talk too much!" Luo Chen spoke curtly, as if looking down on the three of them entirely. Rebuked so bluntly, Hu Changxi's expression chilled. "You may not care about Lu Rong's group of three, but what if the Geng siblings are added into the mix? The head of the Geng clan is a cultivator at the third layer of Foundation Establishment! If he breaks into Danxia Peak, who in your Luotian Association could possibly stop him?!" Hearing this, the cultivators watching from both banks were shocked. To seize the Li family's wealth, Hu Changxi had actually gone to such great lengths. Not only had he colluded with Lu Rong and his peers, but he had even rallied the Geng family, with whom they held old grievances. Who knew how many benefits he had promised them? Upon hearing this news, Luo Chen would surely be unable to sit still! Once he left, the three brothers could take over the Li family, and with the three working together, it would be almost impossible for the rogue cultivators to get a share of the spoils. Yet! Upon hearing Hu Changxi's words, Luo Chen merely raised an eyebrow. "I've noticed that you are urging me to leave again and again." "I'm looking out for you!" Hu Changxi claimed. Luo Chen looked at him with a faint smile. "If I go back right now to deal with Lu Rong, Geng Lie, and the others, won't they cause trouble for you later?" Hu Changxi's expression froze. In their prior secret dealings, he had indeed promised to kill Luo Chen here by the Qinhua River—or at the very least, hold him back. "It seems your alliance isn't very solid after all!" Luo Chen shook his head. At some point, a voice transmission jade token had appeared in his hand. "I am very sorry to disappoint you all. "Every enemy who dared invade has already been wiped out by my Luotian Association. Not a single remnant escaped!" Hu Changxi was stunned. "How is that possible?!" Beside him, Hu Changnu cursed loudly, "Are you bragging without any shame? With the pitiful few stragglers in your Luotian Association, how could you possibly stop so many Foundation Establishment True Cultivators?!" Hu Changle sneered, "Tricking us is one thing, but tricking yourself is just pathetic." Luo Chen merely smiled at their disbelief, having no intention of defending his words. Stowing the voice transmission jade token, he held his umbrella and said without looking back: "Proceed with the funeral. Do not miss the auspicious hour for Fellow Daoist Li's burial!" The funeral procession, which had frozen in place, stirred into commotion upon hearing this. Everyone turned their gaze toward the current head of the Li family, Li Yingzhang. Li Yingzhang stared at Luo Chen's back, then gritted his teeth. "Continue!" Holding the spirit tablet in both hands, he moved forward toward the designated cemetery. As the funeral procession moved forward, Hu Changnu could no longer hold back. "Eldest Brother, why keep wasting words with him? That old dog is about to be buried! "In life, we couldn't do anything to him. In death, how can we let him rest in peace?!" Li Jinhuang had died of old age at the end of his lifespan. For those with no hope of reaching the Great Dao, this was considered the most dignified way to pass. Even though the three Hu brothers had come for profit, their burning hatred had never been extinguished. "Luo Chen!" This time, Hu Changxi did not address him as President Luo or Fellow Daoist Luo. He called him directly by name. "You will regret your stubbornness today!" Luo Chen looked at him calmly. "Whether I will regret it, I cannot say, but the three of you are not worthy of my attention." "We aren't worthy? What about Dan Yuanzi, then?" Just as Hu Changxi spoke, an escape light streaked rapidly from downstream along the Qinhua River. The spiritual light dispersed, revealing an old man standing atop a flying sword, looking at Hu Changxi with displeasure. "Didn't we agree that I wouldn't need to take action?" Hu Changxi replied helplessly, "I don't want to expend too much effort on Luo Chen, so I could only ask for your help." "Hmph!" Dan Yuanzi huffed coldly. "That herb field belongs entirely to me from now on, and I want ten percent of your profits as well!" Among the three Hu brothers, Hu Changle looked dissatisfied. However, Hu Changxi agreed. The longer this dragged out, the more troublesome it would become. They might even draw the attention of late Foundation Establishment great cultivators! By then, all their hard work would only end up serving someone else. Dan Yuanzi looked down, glaring at Luo Chen. "Junior, you shouldn't have—" "Dan Yuanzi, is it? Someone has been waiting for you for a long time."