Fellow Daoist, Please Stay! Instant Kill!

Mount Thunder Accumulation's Nine Peaks held one of the few large-scale Tier 4 mineral veins in the Jade Cauldron Domain. The environment here was peculiar, subject to the incessant bombardment of heavenly lightning year-round. Over the passage of ages, the mountains gave birth to ores distinct from those found anywhere else. Soft Thunder Sand, a Tier 3 mineral essential for crafting magic treasures, came from this very place. Alongside Soft Thunder Sand, renowned Tier 3 ores such as Ink Lead and Flowing White Silver-Tin were also mined here, not to mention a wealth of low-tier companion materials like Quicksand Refined Gold, Lightning-Struck Wood, and Red Thunder Iron. Yet among all these treasures, none was more famous or precious than Thunder Essence, a Tier 4 ore produced at a rate of only nine portions every ten years. This material formed from a massive accumulation of lightning power coalescing with special ores. It inherently possessed the capacity to grow, making it the vital core component for Golden Core Masters refining their natal dharma treasures! Why Thunder Essence was strictly indispensable to the creation of a natal dharma treasure was something ordinary weapon-crafting masters did not know. However, Duan Feng had once mentioned to Luo Chen that it likely had to do with the heavenly lightning tribulation a Golden Core cultivator had to endure when ascending to Nascent Soul. With Mount Thunder Accumulation's Nine Peaks steadily producing Thunder Essence while housing a multitude of rare ores from Tiers 1 through 3, the site naturally held incomparable importance. Ever since the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect had conquered the Jade Cauldron Domain, Mount Thunder Accumulation's Nine Peaks had remained firmly under their grasp. Even though it lay far from their sect grounds, the Sword Sect never permitted any other sect to lay a finger on it. This time, the Luoyun Sect had initiated the war and chosen the Lingkong Secret Realm and Mount Thunder Accumulation's Nine Peaks as battlefields, indisputably seizing the Sword Sect by the throat. Now the Lingkong Secret Realm was closed. The situation over at Blackwater Swamp had no bearing on the grand design, serving merely as Mount Ailao's private scheme. Consequently, the outcome at the battlefield of Mount Thunder Accumulation's Nine Peaks had become exceptionally critical. In the eyes of ordinary cultivators across the Jade Cauldron Domain, whoever seized total control of the Nine Peaks would be the one to claim victory in this war! As for Luo Chen, he did not particularly care who won or lost. Over the years, he had never ceased reviewing intelligence concerning the two major sects. In his view, taking into account the Sword Sect's failed surprise raid into the Luoyun Sect's heartland and the subsequent meeting between Perfected Han Zhan and Perfected Jade Cauldron, the two sides had not reached a point of fighting to the bitter death. If they had, their mode of warfare would have seen the elite powerhouses of both sects marching forth in full strength to assault each other's mountain gates. That was how the Great River Gang had dealt with the Mountain Breaker Gang, how the Luotian Association had wiped out the Fu family dock-castle, and how the Luotian Association had assaulted Mount Xiaohuan. A direct siege on a mountain gate was a fight to the death. The current war, by contrast, remained scattered across various separate frontlines. Regardless of who emerged triumphant, both sides might suffer grievous wounds, but neither sect faced annihilation. It was precisely for this reason that he had initially acquiesced to Huiniang and Caiyi conducting war-related commerce. Since the major players were not fighting to the death, what harm was there in reaping a modest fortune from the conflict? After all, he had supplied his own people. Luo Chen's sole concern was the lives of his association's members. He had assumed that under Ice Fort's sheltering wing, the Luotian Association might incur some casualties, but they would remain minimal. Yet he had still overestimated Master Jueqing's standing within Ice Fort. Or rather, it was not that her status was lacking, but that the ferocity of this war was escalating continuously, far outstripping his expectations. Under such circumstances, Wang Yuan and the others could no longer hold the line on their own. What was more, Wang Yuan was now missing. Thus, Luo Chen had to take the field in person. A child of a wealthy house should not sit beneath precarious eaves? No, Luo Chen was still far from enjoying such luxury! Like a canopy blotting out the sky, the massive flying boat crossed ten thousand li, forging steadily ahead toward Mount Thunder Accumulation's Nine Peaks. Outside the vessel, War Hall cultivators mounted on flying eagles bred by the Spirit Beast Hall patrolled and kept vigil in every direction. Inside, Luo Chen sat in the main cabin, holding an animal pelt inscribed with the Heavenly Roc Transformation, studying it with rapt attention. This manual was a Tier 3 art. Although incomplete, the missing portions lay only within its core cultivation method; the physical techniques recorded upon it were entirely intact. Wang Yuan's Blood God Tribulation Finger had clearly drawn inspiration from the Heavenly Roc Divine Claws, and Luo Chen's Ninety Thousand Li was an outstanding secret art derived from these pages as well. "This body refinement art is distinctly different from human body refinement," Luo Chen mused. "It doesn't seek the four forces of overt, covert, transformative, and pelletizing power derived from blood and qi changes. Instead, it resembles the ancient demon race, pursuing nothing but raw, absolute physical might. "If I can mend this body refinement art, could I bypass the shifts of blood and qi entirely and cultivate pure physical resilience?" Luo Chen had no wish to waste his time and energy on pursuits outside Qi Refinement. To accomplish anything of note along the path of body refinement, one had to comprehend the nuances of blood and qi—overt, covert, transformative, and pelletizing force—all the way until reaching the third realm of astral qi. That required an immense toll of mental effort. However, if he bypassed the path of blood-and-qi transformations and sought solely to fortify his physical vessel, casually training it alongside his Qi Refinement would certainly yield no loss. That was precisely Luo Chen's design! Through years of study, his grasp of the Heavenly Roc Transformation had deepened immensely, not falling a single step behind Wang Yuan's. Knowing the technique was fragmented, Wang Yuan had approached it from the start with the intention of borrowing its strengths to supplement his own foundation. Luo Chen, on the other hand, could restore it to completion using his panel. Thus, Luo Chen harbored no convoluted ideas; he simply researched in the direction indicated by the text. If he truly uncovered something, the bottleneck in his stagnant body refinement might advance a degree or two. With the profound understanding he had accumulated over the years, spending a few achievement points on the panel to mend it would likely suffice. While Luo Chen was thoroughly absorbed in his contemplation, his eyelids suddenly lifted. His profound gaze seemed to pierce straight through the thick wooden hull, looking more than ten li into the distance! "What bold audacity!" *** "Boss Hu, are you certain?" "What's there to be uncertain about? Everyone doing business off the war follows the same routine nowadays. This Luotian Association made a run once last year, but that was just testing the waters. This time, they've definitely brought an immense haul of goods and coin. If we can hijack it and split the spoils down the middle, won't we both make an absolute fortune?" More than ten li away, inside a small mountain valley, over a dozen cultivators had gathered in loose clusters. At their head stood two rogue Foundation Establishment cultivators! As Boss Hu rambled on, the other man, a pale-faced youth, sighed helplessly. "That wasn't what I was asking." Boss Hu blinked, then burst into hearty laughter. "I know, Kou Ji! You're worried about the strength of the Luotian Association's caravan, aren't you?" The pale-faced man nodded, a thread of worry in his eyes. Boss Hu clapped him on the shoulder. "You needn't worry about that in the slightest!" "How so?" Kou Ji asked, curiosity surfacing on his face. "I investigated this thoroughly long ago. Back in Tianlan Immortal City, the Luotian Association is merely a run-of-the-mill second-tier force, roughly on par with our Shadow Alliance in Daguang Immortal City—founded by a loose cultivator. They were doing decently before, but not long ago, they suffered a devastating blow. This caravan should have had a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator come out to receive them, but this time, they simply have no hands left to spare." After hearing this explanation, Kou Ji remained half-convinced and half-skeptical. "Couldn't they have sent a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator from their home territory to escort the caravan?" "They could, but most of the Luotian Association's Foundation Establishment cultivators are pinned down at the frontlines of Mount Thunder Accumulation's Nine Peaks. All they have left back home are a few women. Who could they possibly send?" Boss Hu dismissed the notion offhandedly. Kou Ji shook his head. "Women can be vicious to cross." Boss Hu curled his lip. "Relax, I'm not some reckless fool. We'll have our men charge in first. If a formidable Foundation Establishment cultivator shows up, we simply call off the job!" Kou Ji followed his gaze toward the dozen-odd Qi Refinement cultivators milling outside. Each of them was flush with excitement, daydreaming about making a killing under the leadership of two Foundation Establishment True Cultivators! Kou Ji nodded, his heart settling considerably. Still, to be safe, he pressed further. "This caravan from the Luotian Association is supplying resources to a major sect like Ice Fort, right? Could we end up offending a Golden Core great sect by doing this?" Boss Hu broke into an amused smirk. "Brother Kou Ji, you're far too cautious and timid. Putting aside whether a Golden Core great sect would even bother lowering themselves to reckon with us, the two sides belong to opposing camps anyway! What does it matter if they take offense? By seizing this shipment, we pocket the resources and earn a handsome sum of merit points on the Sword Sect's Merit Board. Severing logistics is the easiest and safest way to harvest merit!" Kou Ji started, then felt a wave of clarity wash over him. Looking at the smugly grinning Boss Hu, he sneered inwardly. *And you call me cautious? With such fluent answers, you clearly prepared every detail long before this. You've thought this through far more thoroughly than I have! When we hit the road, I'll definitely keep a trick or two up my sleeve.* "All right, they're about to pass Tianzhu Peak. The terrain there is lofty; if a massive flying boat doesn't want to detour, it has to ascend, which makes it the perfect moment for an ambush!" Boss Hu waved his broad hand, barking the command to move. The pack of Qi Refinement rogue cultivators he had roped in surged forward in high spirits. *** "In this day and age, Golden Core Masters cast aside their status to intervene, Foundation Establishment True Cultivators are treated like weeds, and rogue cultivators don their masks as bandits at a moment's notice. The true essence of cultivation has truly been lost!" On the deck of the flying boat, Luo Chen, having changed into an old Red Cloud Daoist robe, murmured his laments. Qin Liangchen looked at him inquisitively. "Association Leader, why did you come out?" "Nothing, just out to clear my mind." Luo Chen smiled faintly. At this moment, he looked thoroughly unremarkable. The potent spiritual energy fluctuations of a sixth-layer Foundation Establishment cultivator had been masked almost completely under the combined mantle of his Great Perfection Breath Concealment Spiritual Art and the Turtle Breathing Technique. In their place, he radiated only the ordinary, unassuming aura of the ninth layer of Qi Refinement. Watching the vessel ascend to part the brisk winds and white clouds, Luo Chen suddenly asked, "If you encountered a small band of Qi Refinement bandits on the road, how would you handle them?" "Qi Refinement?" Qin Liangchen laughed heartily. "Then it wouldn't be a matter of how I handle them, but rather their bad luck for being blind enough to cross into my path!" He gestured toward the hundred-odd cultivators aboard the ship and the eagle riders escorting the perimeter. "These are War Hall cultivators trained to fight from the backs of flying eagles, every one of them formidable. The men I brought from the outer gate are all handpicked late Qi Refinement experts. Any ordinary small band of highwaymen clashing with us would be smashing an egg against a rock! Besides, though I failed my Foundation Establishment, Old Qin here is a genuine Qi Refinement Great Perfection expert. I don't fear ordinary foes!" His words carried extraordinary confidence. Luo Chen's eyes brightened slightly as he gave an inward nod. Although Qin Liangchen had failed Foundation Establishment, seeing his Dao companion Murong Qinglian succeed had restored his former openhearted nature. Having managed the outer gate for so long, he had grown increasingly self-assured. Disregarding his flawed physique, such a state of mind was exceptionally well suited for Foundation Establishment. Just as Qin Liangchen was about to say more, his expression shifted slightly. A moment later, seeing over a dozen Qi Refinement cultivators swarming toward them from the distance, he turned toward Luo Chen in astonishment. "You knew all along?" Luo Chen smiled and nodded. "Go on. I'll hold the rear for you." Resigned, Qin Liangchen summoned a large golden melon mace into his hand and soared into the sky. Behind him, Luo Chen's chuckling voice drifted over. "No need to waste breath on them. Just cut them down." "Right!" Qin Liangchen agreed, then bellowed, "Luotian cultivators, prepare for battle!" The next instant, figures across the deck executed the Wind Riding Technique, leaping skyward en masse. The dozen-odd approaching bandits twitched violently at the sight. Yet remembering the two Foundation Establishment cultivators at their back, they did not panic entirely. A ninth-layer Qi Refinement expert among them even recalled Boss Hu's instruction to probe the vessel first to see if any Foundation Establishment True Cultivator was on board. "We are cultivators of the Yan Alliance! We invite your esteemed Foundation Establishment senior to—" Before he could finish his words, the man's face drained completely of color. Qin Liangchen paid no heed to his blather, following Luo Chen's orders to the letter: cut them down directly! Under his direction, the Luotian Association cultivators descended like tigers and wolves. Artifacts and talismans rained down like a tempest. "Wait, don't—" "Hold on, stop! Why are you people so unreasonable?!" The bandits, having emerged from nowhere, fled in utter disarray while crying for mercy. Their aggrieved expressions made it seem as though the Luotian Association were the wicked highwaymen committing atrocities. Qin Liangchen turned a deaf ear to their pleas, commanding his cultivators to strike with lethal force. His golden melon mace proved especially vicious; every time it descended, a plume of bloody mist erupted in midair. *Thud!* A ninth-layer Qi Refinement bandit barely managed to scramble out of the encirclement. He wailed shrilly, "Senior Hu, if you don't strike now, when will you!" A sigh drifted from the valley not far off. Then, two figures rode the clouds into the fray. Seeing them, the bandit felt his heart ease, joy surging across his face. Yet before the smile could fully bloom, his entire body froze. A crescent moon ghosted around his neck. With a clean, circular slice, his severed head vaulted into the air. Back on the flying boat's deck, Luo Chen raised an eyebrow, looking toward Yuan Xiaoyue at the prow, whose face was slightly pale. "Not bad. Did Caiyi teach you that?" Decapitating foes with a circular sweep had been Luo Chen's go-to maneuver during his Qi Refinement days, brutal yet ruthlessly efficient. Gu Caiyi, being so close to him, had picked up a few tricks. Yuan Xiaoyue recalled the crescent blade—which turned out to be a curved saber. She smiled shyly. "The Hall Master did teach me a great deal. But just now, it was mostly thanks to catching him off guard." Luo Chen shook his head with a smile. "To slay a ninth-layer Qi Refinement cultivator while at the eighth layer is commendable, even if by ambush." While they bantered cheerfully, Boss Hu and Kou Ji wore decidedly dark expressions. To tell the truth, they cared nothing for the lives of this rabble. In fact, they had already intended to dispose of them personally after the heist to avoid sharing the spoils. Still, slaughtering the rabble themselves and watching someone decapitate them right before their eyes were two completely different matters. That eighth-layer Qi Refinement female cultivator was slapping them right across the face! "Little wench, once you fall into my hands, I'll teach you what suffering means!" Boss Hu glared malevolently at the distant Yuan Xiaoyue, then turned his gaze upon Qin Liangchen at the fore. *Strange. Why isn't this man the least bit frightened when confronted by two Foundation Establishment cultivators?* Qin Liangchen, having mopped up the remaining stragglers, faced the pair. "What might your names be, Seniors? And what do you intend by intercepting us like this?" Boss Hu bared a savage grin. "Junior, you've slaughtered my beloved kin! Today, your lives and this boat of cargo will serve as your recompense!" As he spoke, he summoned his flying sword, poised to strike a lethal blow. Yet in the very next instant, a majestic, overwhelming aura erupted skyward from the distant vessel! Boss Hu's face transformed completely, his pupils quaking violently. "A great cultivator!" The words had barely left his lips before he wheeled around to flee. But from the corner of his eye, he saw that his companion Kou Ji was already streaking away, having reacted even faster than he had! "Damned bastard!" Boss Hu cursed under his breath, spinning around to make his escape as sheer terror seized his heart. This Luotian Association was merely a minor force that had risen in Tianlan over the past decade or so. How could they harbor a late Foundation Establishment great cultivator? How could two rogue cultivators hope to match such a powerhouse? *We haven't harmed a single one of their men. Surely he won't pursue us?* Just as the thought crossed his mind, a torrential flood of sword light erupted ahead. "Aaargh!" Kou Ji, who had fled the fastest, managed only a single bloodcurdling scream before being swallowed whole by the deluge. Countless shreds of flesh and bone sprayed outward, some of the bloody pulp spattering straight across Boss Hu's stunned, unguarded face. "Since you've already come, why leave so soon?" "Fellow Daoist, please stay your steps!"