Boom!
A deafening roar erupted the instant the flame dragon slammed into the golden barrier.
The sound echoed for hundreds of li around!
Even inside Tianlan Immortal City, it could be heard clearly.
It roared like a dragon, rumbled like thunder, and clanged like clashing metal, its sudden blast feeling as if heaven and earth were splitting apart.
Countless cultivators paused whatever they were doing at that moment and looked in that direction.
Streaks of escape light flew toward the scene from every direction.
Standing right at the center of the detonation, Luo Chen undoubtedly felt it most acutely.
*Is this the might of a grand formation?*
*The power of that single strike was hardly inferior to me unleashing Landslide with all my strength!*
It was commonly said among the hundred arts of cultivation—alchemy, formations, crafting, talismans, puppetry, beast taming, herbology, and spirit leylines—that alchemy was foremost, formations second, crafting third, and talismans last.
None disputed alchemy's place at the head.
Yet weapon crafting ranking behind formations frequently stirred debate.
Dharma artifacts and magic treasures were essentials every cultivator relied upon, their frequency of use no less than medicinal pills.
On what grounds should formations take precedence over artifact crafting?
Because of this, some had tried rearranging the order to "pills, weapons, arrays, talismans." Yet in the eyes of true great sects, such reshuffling was nothing more than a laughingstock.
The Dao of formations was ever-changing, its applications boundlessly vast.
From cultivation and combat to defense, offense, gathering spiritual qi, and auxiliary support, it permeated all things.
In the eyes of grand formation masters, even Heaven and Earth itself was an unfolding of worldly laws woven into a grand array, tracing the contours of mountains, the veins of the earth, and the surging currents of rivers, lakes, and seas.
Now, before Luo Chen's very eyes, he experienced firsthand just how terrifying the Dao of formations could be when prepared in advance.
That earlier blow was only the first of the flame dragon's nine transformations!
That alone was enough to rival his most destructive methods at present.
If pushed all the way to its ninth transformation, how terrifying would its power become?
Beyond mid Foundation Establishment?
Into late Foundation Establishment?
Or could the might of a Tier 2 array unleash a blow infinitely close to, or even rivaling, a Golden Core cultivator?
Luo Chen could not fathom it.
Looking at Min Longyu's back, his esteem for the man grew by another measure.
This subordinate, who had defected to him mid-battle, had proven increasingly useful after establishing his foundation.
Whether in the defense of Danxia Peak or the solo conquest of the Geng family's fortress, he had continually demonstrated his potential.
Now, spearheading the assault on the Divine Craft Sect, his talents were on full display.
*My efforts on him have truly not gone to waste!*
After his brief marveling, Luo Chen reined in his shock.
Unlike the others, he did not wait expectantly for the next attack.
Instead, he released his spiritual sense, slowly threading it into the Nine Transformations Flame Dragon Array.
Before long, he located the magic treasure anchoring the formation eye.
The Mystic Fire Sword!
This flying sword, a magic treasure belonging to him, had already undergone five or six years of refining.
Luo Chen was confident that if he used the Mystic Fire Sword now, both the frequency and the potency of his strikes would far surpass Wang Haichao back then.
Even among peers of the same realm, he could fully unleash it more than five times!
And each strike could draw out forty percent of the magic treasure's true might!
This already vastly eclipsed supreme-grade dharma artifacts, bloodline magic treasures, or even talisman treasures, which held only thirty percent of a magic treasure's power.
In battles among Foundation Establishment cultivators, it was an absolute lethal weapon.
Yet wielding a magic treasure across an entire major realm—even one of the lowest, inferior grade—was an exhausting endeavor for any Foundation Establishment True Cultivator.
Its power was immense, but so was its consumption.
Moreover, employing it lacked flexibility and adaptability.
Luo Chen still preferred relying on near-instant cast spells and supreme-grade dharma artifacts in battle.
That was why he had not used his magic treasure during the clash at the Qinhua River.
It was certainly not out of contempt for the three Hu brothers or Wei Tuo.
*Min Longyu said that if I borrow the residual power of this grand formation to refine my magic treasure, it could save me decades of effort.*
*If that is true, it is well worth anticipating.*
Luo Chen immediately sat down cross-legged.
Following a minor restriction Min Longyu had taught him, he shaped his spiritual sense into a restriction.
Initially, the grand formation had shown a faint resistance toward him, issuing warning dragon roars from time to time.
Yet once his spiritual sense transformed into the restriction, the entire formation seemed to accept him, treating him as one of its own.
*As expected. Because the formation eye is anchored by the Mystic Fire Sword I've refined for years, it naturally holds less rejection toward me.*
*Veiled by the Dragon Transformation Restriction, I can truly become part of the array.*
With his thoughts settling, Luo Chen's spiritual sense entered the Mystic Fire Sword.
At this moment, it was as if he had become the "sword spirit."
And amidst the churning array, he seemed to become the "formation spirit" as well.
The Dragon Transformation Restriction was truly an exquisite technique!
Luo Chen gave an inward sigh of admiration and wasted no more time.
Channeling the Mystic Fire Sword, he began slowly absorbing the ambient fire-attribute spiritual qi drifting nearby.
As the fire qi surged in continuously, his dual presence as sword spirit and formation spirit faintly converged into one.
Within his mind, his mastery over the Mystic Fire Sword grew steadily more intimate.
***
While Luo Chen used the array's power to refine his magic treasure, Min Longyu's assault on the Divine Craft Sect grew increasingly fierce.
The first transformation was merely a probe.
On the very first day, he ramped the array's power up to the third transformation!
By then, the force of the flame dragon's battering was squarely at the level of late Foundation Establishment!
The golden formation shielding the Divine Craft Sect no longer possessed its initial unyielding stability.
With every collision, ripples of golden light cascaded across its surface.
When the second day arrived, Min Longyu elevated the array straight to the fourth transformation.
The conjured flame dragon even began displaying the faint, semi-translucent contours of scales.
The sheer intensity of the assault astounded the countless rogue cultivators watching from afar.
If mere onlookers were stunned, the situation within the Divine Craft Sect was naturally even worse.
When Fei Changqiu stepped into the central formation hall, the Grand Elder was pacing anxiously, muttering in desperation.
"How is this possible?"
"Why is it like this?"
Fei Changqiu's expression was grim as he asked, "Grand Elder, what has happened?"
The Grand Elder came to his senses, panic written across his face.
"Every single strike from the Luotian Association exceeds the power of late Foundation Establishment."
"And what of it?" Fei Changqiu frowned. "Did we not establish earlier that even if late Foundation Establishment cultivators attacked, we could hold out for several months?"
"It's not the same! It's not the same!"
The Grand Elder muttered, then jerked his head up.
"They have a formation master among them! They aren't just breaking it with brute force—he is applying the principles of the Five Elements' generation and overcoming!
"He is using fire to conquer metal, aiming to forcibly melt down our Bronze Wall and Iron Bastion!"
Fei Changqiu's expression changed drastically.
Yet a sliver of hope lingered in his heart.
"When we commissioned this grand array, did we not take the interactions into account and specifically incorporate both metal and earth attributes?"
Fire could overcome metal, but overcoming earth was far from simple.
On the contrary, drawing on the energy of the mountains and leylines, the Bronze Wall and Iron Bastion should counter fire-attribute power.
Unexpectedly, the Grand Elder let out a wretched laugh.
"It has changed. Everything has changed.
"No formation in this world remains immutable forever.
"Our Divine Craft Sect focuses on weapon forging. Every year when repairing the array, in order to increase its counterattack power, we added far too many metal-attribute ores.
"Now, the power of metal dominates entirely, and the balance between metal and earth is long gone."
Fei Changqiu's mouth hung open.
A flicker of dread surfaced in his eyes.
The Grand Elder continued, "Their formation master spotted our weakness and laid down the purest fire-attribute array.
"Right now is merely the beginning.
"Half a year?
"I fear we won't even last seven days!"
***
Seven days?
That had been Min Longyu's initial estimate.
Yet if he were to calculate it now, seven days would not be needed at all.
*The Association Master's Mystic Fire Sword may not be of exceptional grade, but its boost to fire-attribute power is remarkable.*
*I didn't account for this factor in my previous calculations.*
*Recalculating now, five days will be more than enough!*
Five days!
A brilliant light flashed in Min Longyu's eyes as he continually channeled the array's power.
On the third day: the flame dragon's fifth transformation!
On the fourth day: the flame dragon's sixth transformation!
***
On the morning of the fifth day.
Luo Chen, deeply immersed in refining his magic treasure, stirred from his trance.
He snapped his head up, looking toward the southeast.
A streak of escape light was hurtling toward them from the distance.
As the light faded, the rogue cultivators who had kept vigil through the night erupted into chatter.
"White beard, long brows, a ruddy complexion, a plain iron sword, and wielding his blade with pure qi... isn't that Sect Master Zuo Song of the Iron Sword Hall?"
"Is Senior Zuo someone whose name you can just throw around? Watch your tongue!"
"Is he the first late Foundation Establishment cultivator to come watch over these past days?"
"Why is he here? Could it be that he intends to..."
Amidst the buzzing speculation, Luo Chen moved, leaping into the sky like a roc spreading its wings.
"Fellow Daoist, if you are here to watch, this is as close as you get!"
Zuo Song halted, spiritual qi circulating ceaselessly around him while the massive broadsword beneath his feet hummed faintly.
He was a sword cultivator, yet not a traditional one.
He followed the path of wielding swords with qi rather than manifesting them from sword pills.
Looking at Luo Chen, he forced a smile.
"Fire Spirit Lord, when one can let someone off, one should; why push things to the bitter end?"
Luo Chen looked at him coldly. "If you didn't show yourself over the past few days, why muddy the waters today?"
Zuo Song's expression stiffened.
He could hardly admit that Fei Changqiu had promised him far better terms through voice transmission!
Just as he was at a loss for words, searching for an excuse, two more streaks of escape light approached from behind.
When the lights dispersed, another uproar broke out among the onlookers.
"Is that Fairy Yuzhi?"
"She came too? Is she also here to plead for the Divine Craft Sect?"
"Fairy Yuzhi has always had wide connections; perhaps she shares a deep friendship with Sect Master Fei."
The woman drawing everyone's attention was tall with an exceptionally slender waist.
Her skin was like white jade, her aura like a fiery lingzhi.
Before she even drew near, a rich, intoxicating fragrance wafted ahead of her.
Luo Chen's nose twitched, and he held his breath using the Tortoise Breathing Technique.
He recognized this woman.
They had crossed paths twice before.
She was the former tenant of Cave Abode Yi-17—Ling Yuzhi.
That she could reside in a Tier 2 superior-grade cave abode at only the sixth level of Foundation Establishment was truly astonishing.
After all, she was no grand elder of a cultivation clan, nor was she affiliated with any major faction, nor did anyone know of any craft she possessed.
Yet she could afford the steep expenses of a superior cave abode!
In his spare time, he had once asked Chu Kui about her background.
The answer he received had left him dumbfounded.
During her early Foundation Establishment days, she had shared a romantic entanglement with Master Shixiang, one of the three Golden Core Masters of Hundred Blossoms Palace.
When Master Shixiang departed, she left Ling Yuzhi with substantial cultivation resources, enabling her to advance all the way to mid Foundation Establishment in one breath.
It even allowed her, as a rogue cultivator shy of the late stage, to lease an exorbitantly priced superior cave abode.
Furthermore, by trading on Master Shixiang's name, she thrived in Tianlan Immortal City.
She could well be called Tianlan's premier socialite.
What had surprised Luo Chen most was that rumor held Master Shixiang was also a female cultivator!
The two of them...
"Luo Chen, there is no need to take things to such extremes. We all cultivate here in Tianlan; our paths are bound to cross sooner or later," Ling Yuzhi said.
Her words were nominally even-tempered, yet her tone carried an overbearing arrogance.
Luo Chen glanced at her, his lips twitching.
Even Zuo Song, a great cultivator of late Foundation Establishment, had politely addressed him as "Fire Spirit Lord," yet here she was, calling him by his full name.
With a cold snort, he turned his gaze toward the last arrival.
It was yet another great cultivator of late Foundation Establishment!
"How should I address this Fellow Daoist?"
The newcomer was gaunt and withered, his hands resembling ghostly talons—an arresting sight.
He replied flatly, "Greetings, Fellow Daoist Luo. I am Luo Feng."
Also surnamed Luo!
Luo Chen raised a brow. "Could you be Fellow Daoist Luo Feng from Luosha Workshop?"
"Indeed," Luo Feng cupped his fists in courtesy.
Scanning the three of them, Luo Chen fell silent for a moment.
He had not expected Fei Changqiu to summon two late Foundation Establishment cultivators along with a sixth-level female cultivator right as the array was on the verge of collapsing.
Was this the network built from operating in the immortal city for a hundred years?
While he remained silent, the three across from him carefully surveyed their surroundings.
Bearing his iron sword, Zuo Song looked past Luo Chen toward the grand array behind him.
A trace of wariness flickered in his eyes.
Faintly, a seed of regret sprouted in his heart.
Yet seeing Luo Feng's arrival eased his mind somewhat.
Two late Foundation Establishment cultivators ought to be enough to make the other party back down!
And all he, Zuo Song, had to do was move his lips.
Luo Feng likewise cast a subtle glance at the grand formation.
It was close to being pushed to its limit, possessing enough power to threaten even late Foundation Establishment great cultivators like them!
Only Ling Yuzhi wore an ashen expression.
In that exchange just now, Luo Chen had ignored only her.
It was blatant disregard!
To think that the country bumpkin she had once looked down upon now dared to treat her with such contempt in full view of the public.
For someone of her enduring pride, it made her blood boil.
Suddenly, she had no desire to mediate.
Let them fight!
With two late Foundation Establishment cultivators plus herself, slaughtering Luo Chen would be as easy as turning over a hand!
Suddenly, Luo Chen looked up at the three of them.
"You arrive out of nowhere to mediate for the Divine Craft Sect—I imagine it isn't out of sentimentality!
"I wonder, what benefits did they promise you?"
Faced with this question, Luo Feng did not hide it.
"A long-term business arrangement, plus one Foundation Establishment Pill."
"That is all?" Luo Chen asked, somewhat amused.
Luo Feng nodded. "That is all."
After saying that, he added casually, "I hear your association also possesses a large stock of Foundation Establishment Pills, and engages in artifact crafting. My Luosha Workshop owns a mineral mountain. If the Luotian Association agrees to partner with my Luo family and provides one Foundation Establishment Pill, I can leave right now."
Luo Chen smiled.
Here came someone trying to take advantage of the crisis!
Without answering, he turned to the other two.
Zuo Song laughed heartily. "What Fei Changqiu promised me was merely a piece of mineral ore."
What kind of ore could make him rush over after ignoring the matter for days?
Finally, Luo Chen looked at Ling Yuzhi.
Under his gaze, Ling Yuzhi's expression turned unnatural.
"Merely some spirit stones. Why pry so deeply?"
Having learned the details of the Divine Craft Sect's promises, Luo Chen felt a weight lift from his heart.
So none of it amounted to solid connections after all.
It was nothing more than transactional interest!
In that case!
Luo Chen gave a ferocious grin and said without looking back:
"Min Longyu, launch the general offensive!"
The moment his voice fell, a hundred-zhang flame dragon roared forth.
Before the astonished and furious eyes of the three cultivators, it crashed violently into that brilliant golden barrier.
Flame Dragon, Eighth Transformation!
Boundless scarlet fire transformed into the dragon, plunging headlong into the barrier.
Chapter 295