Hunt and Counter-Hunt: Who Is the Prey, and Who Is the Hunter!

Whether the four sects had gone mad, Luo Chen did not know. What he did know was that every subordinate force under the four sects, and even the Foundation Establishment rogue cultivators lingering in this region, had all gone completely mad. Each of the four sects had offered a Core Formation secret technique—magnanimous and extraordinarily generous. To the countless cultivators stranded at late Foundation Establishment with no avenue toward Core Formation, this was nothing short of opening a gate to the heavens! Even for early and mid Foundation Establishment cultivators who seemingly had no pressing need, who wouldn't want to make preparations ahead of time? Luo Chen looked at the four Core Formation secret techniques listed on the monument, each accompanied by the required number of merit points for exchange. The most costly was none other than the superior Core Formation secret technique put forth by the Luoyun Sect—Locking the Beaded Curtain. To redeem this technique required a staggering ten thousand merit points! Next were the inferior Core Formation secret techniques offered by the other three sects, tied at two thousand merit points each. Ice Fort's Dragon-Phoenix Tribulation was among them. Luo Chen already possessed this technique himself, and had even gathered the two kinds of Rank Three medicinal pills it required long ago. Given that the other two were tied with it, they were clearly not much better. Yet even so, for Foundation Establishment cultivators who were not true disciples of major sects, even an inferior Core Formation secret technique was exceedingly precious. Now, the four sects had thrown open their gates of generosity. Laying the path of exchange bare before their eyes, who could fail to be tempted? At the very least, Luo Chen, who already possessed one secret technique, could not tear his gaze away from *Locking the Beaded Curtain*. "President, should we..." Duan Feng's voice drifted into his ear. Luo Chen came back to his senses and turned to Duan Feng, whose eyes burned with longing. Glancing sideways, he saw Xu Huanzhen breathing with frantic rapidity. The higher one's cultivation realm, the more intensely one craved a Core Formation secret technique! Indeed, it wasn't just the two of them. The more than one thousand rogue cultivators gathered around the massive stone stele were all in a frenzy of excitement. Some didn't care to rest at all, itching to charge straight back into the battlefield of Mount Thunder Accumulation's Nine Peaks. *No wonder it felt like there were so many more cultivators around during the rotation earlier.* *They must be newcomers who received word and eagerly rushed to the battlefield.* As Luo Chen murmured to himself, his gaze caught several ninth-layer Foundation Establishment cultivators walking away, conferring with somber expressions. He swallowed hard and forced himself to calm down. The greater the reward, the greater the peril! With the four Core Formation secret techniques announced, every subordinate force and rogue cultivator in the Four-Sect Alliance would likely be driven into a frenzy. And with this side going mad, there was no way the Sword Sect would remain passive. This meant the intensity of the war was about to escalate. Looking at the agitated pair beside him, Luo Chen commanded in a calm, low voice, "Back to the encampment to rest first!" Xu Huanzhen and Duan Feng exchanged glances, but neither dared to oppose his word. Once they returned to the encampment, word had already spread far and wide. Even the Qi Refining cultivators of the Luotian Association were fervently discussing the matter. Luo Chen calmly pulled Xu and Duan into his room. "Don't let these Core Formation secret techniques go to your heads!" Xu Huanzhen swallowed. "B-but there's a superior Core Formation secret technique among them!" Luo Chen frowned. "Then why didn't you look at the merit points required?" Hearing this, Xu Huanzhen froze instantly, his excitement slowly dissipating. He opened his mouth to speak, but in the end could only let out a dejected sigh. Indeed! The required points were simply astronomical. The Four-Sect Alliance's rules for earning merit points were crude and straightforward. Ordinary guard and defensive duties awarded pitifully few merit points. Patrols, sentry duties, intelligence gathering, and the like offered slightly more, but it was still a meager pittance. If one wanted to earn merit points in large sums, there was only one way. Kill enemies! Killing one Qi Refining cultivator yielded ten merit points. Killing one early Foundation Establishment cultivator yielded one hundred merit points. Killing one mid Foundation Establishment cultivator yielded two hundred. Only by slaying a late Foundation Establishment cultivator could one directly obtain five hundred merit points! In other words, to exchange for an inferior secret technique from one of the three sects, one would have to slaughter two hundred Qi Refining cultivators, twenty early Foundation Establishment cultivators, ten mid Foundation Establishment cultivators, or four late Foundation Establishment great cultivators! This was simply too difficult. The Luotian Association had guarded their post for two full years and had only managed to scrape together seven hundred merit points in total. Most of that had come from Min Longyu luckily using an array to obliterate five early Foundation Establishment cultivators. And now, having redeemed a Foundation Establishment Pill, only one hundred merit points remained. From this alone, one could see how grueling it was to acquire merit points. And that was just for an inferior Core Formation secret technique. If one wished to redeem the Luoyun Sect's *Locking the Beaded Curtain*, that figure had to be multiplied by five! That was completely out of reach for a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator. One person slaughtering over a hundred early Foundation Establishment cultivators, or twenty late Foundation Establishment cultivators? Anyone capable of that would have to be a Golden Core Master at the very least! Yet there lay the contradiction. If someone was already a Golden Core Master, why would they care about a technique for forming a core? Furthermore, the rules stipulated that only those below Golden Core and outside the four sects themselves could participate in this redemption. This single restriction slammed the door on Golden Core Masters from first-rate forces who might have sought to acquire Core Formation secret techniques through the war. Looking at the crestfallen pair, Luo Chen shook his head. "It's not as though I wasn't tempted, but one must know one's limits and act within one's means. "Didn't you notice earlier? Even the late Foundation Establishment great cultivators—the ones in most dire need of a Core Formation secret technique—were all wearing grim expressions. "One of you is at the third layer of Foundation Establishment and the other at the sixth layer. You are at least a century away from Core Formation, so why the rush?" Comforted by his words, Xu and Duan slowly regained their composure. Under the allure of a higher realm, they had indeed lost their heads. Perhaps only a prize of this caliber could strip so many Foundation Establishment True Cultivators of their usual poise. To further reassure the pair, Luo Chen revealed ahead of time that he had become a guest elder of Ice Fort. Amid their astonishment and delight, Luo Chen spoke candidly. "Once the war ends, leveraging my status as a guest elder of a major sect, obtaining a Core Formation secret technique won't be difficult at all. "All you two need to do is cultivate diligently and advance your realms!" Only then did the two completely cast aside their reckless impulses. After seeing them off, Luo Chen couldn't help letting out a long sigh of relief. Just as he had told them, it wasn't as though he hadn't been tempted. Yet in certain matters, one had to remain clear-headed about one's limits! Luo Chen had assessed his current strength: crushing an early Foundation Establishment cultivator was effortless, and mid Foundation Establishment cultivators could hardly last a few bouts against him. Even facing a great cultivator head-on, he was confident he could defeat them one-on-one. At the very least, he was guaranteed to protect himself. Yet expecting him to slaughter a dozen or twenty late Foundation Establishment cultivators on the battlefield was pure fantasy. Even if he went all out hunting early and mid Foundation Establishment cultivators, it would easily draw the predatory gaze of stronger foes. After all, merit value assessments were not based solely on cultivation level. For instance, several cultivators specializing in lightning arts designated by the sects were treated as great cultivators even though they were only at mid Foundation Establishment. Luo Chen had no desire for his head to become a coveted prize. *For the Four-Sect Alliance to offer resources like this, they're practically shoving their subordinates and rogue cultivators to throw away their lives!* *It seems the Luoyun Sect is determined to win this civil war at all costs.* *Otherwise, they never would have convinced the other three sects to produce Core Formation secret techniques—even if they are merely inferior techniques looked down upon by the major sects.* However, this also meant that the Foundation Establishment casualties, which had previously been somewhat contained, would quickly devolve into relentless fights to the death. Meanwhile, the weaker late Qi Refining cultivators would become prime hunting targets for Foundation Establishment cultivators. Ten thousand merit points was merely the lives of a thousand Qi Refining cultivators. As long as a late Foundation Establishment great cultivator cast aside their shame and harvested them ruthlessly, they could always scrape together enough! Fortunately, Luo Chen was now an Ice Fort guest elder. His Luotian Association likely wouldn't be needed in the fighting ahead. In six months, they could simply pack up and leave. Otherwise, with barely a hundred people, the Luotian Association could never survive such turmoil. After much contemplation, Luo Chen thoroughly weighed the pros and cons. Then, a sudden thought struck him. *Next, everyone's attention will be focused on the battlefield.* *Could I take this opportunity to head to the Ninth Peak and search for Wang Yuan's whereabouts?* He retrieved a voice transmission jade token and fell into thought. Before Wang Yuan set out, Luo Chen had given him a jade token capable of transmitting voice within a thousand li. The Ninth Peak was not very large; as long as he took his time and remained cautious, he should be able to get in touch with him. *** Mount Thunder Accumulation's Nine Peaks had towered over this vast quicksand wilderness of ten thousand li for a thousand years. The other eight peaks were places ordinary Qi Refining cultivators could set foot upon. Yet the Ninth Peak was starkly different! Too much lightning power had accumulated within, spawning frequent thunderstorms, and its internal terrain was exceedingly intricate. Even ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators did not dare venture deep into it. Each year when harvesting Thunder Essence, only a Golden Core cultivator from the Sword Sect entering in person could succeed. When the war broke out, the other eight peaks became the centers of attack and defense, while the Ninth Peak was not even on the radar of the two Nascent Soul superior sects. On this day, a figure shrouded in faint dark light flew in from the distant sea of swirling yellow sand. Arriving beneath the mountain peaks, the figure halted. Luo Chen looked back and let out a sigh of relief. Sure enough, just as he expected, everyone's attention was currently fixed on killing in battle and hunting for merit points. The Ninth Peak, not being a primary battlefield, attracted far less notice. "Now, I just need to enter this mountain and carefully search for Wang Yuan's traces. "According to the intelligence gathered from various sources, Wang Yuan's most recent sighting was half a month ago, between the Ninth and Seventh Peaks, seemingly attempting to leave the mountains? "Yet in the end, for some unknown reason, he returned to the depths of the Ninth Peak." Murmuring to himself, Luo Chen produced a jade token. He infused it with a spiritual sense voice transmission, but received no response, like a clay ox sinking into the sea. "Is he still out of range?" Luo Chen pursed his lips, concealed his aura, and quietly slipped into the mountain. *** The deeper one ventured, the more the Ninth Peak's internal environment diverged markedly from the other eight peaks. Traces of vegetation and flora began to appear, with Rank Two Lightning-Struck Wood everywhere. Even in the shallow layers of the mountain range, rare lightning-attribute ores cropped up. Deep in a dense forest, three figures stood looking at each other, their expressions grim. Their conversation was fraught with argument. "Ku Chan, that we helped you this far is already beyond the call of duty. As things stand, let it go!" a mid Foundation Establishment cultivator said slowly. Another man in a blue robe also wore a look of terror. "Just what blood feud do you have with him? A powerhouse like that is simply not someone Brother Chu and I can afford to provoke!" The one he called Brother Chu was precisely that mid Foundation Establishment cultivator who had first proposed stopping. He said bitterly, "Originally, the five of us chased him into this Ninth Peak, and you later summoned three early Foundation Establishment fellows to assist. Yet in just a few months, the tables turned, and he began hunting us instead. To this day, only the three of us with the highest cultivation remain!" Hearing this, the blue-robed cultivator shuddered, as if recalling something horrifying. The two instinctively looked toward Ku Chan, waiting for him to make a decision. With a square jaw, thick brows, large eyes, and dressed in a purple Daoist robe, the old man would have looked dignified and imposing, yet the toad-like pustules dotting his face made him look extraordinarily repulsive. This was Ku Chan, a late Foundation Establishment great cultivator from the Flame Alliance! Unless he gave the word, these two, having accepted his benefits, could not simply walk away. Ku Chan glared coldly at them, his eyes like those of a raptor. "You want to back out?" The two mid Foundation Establishment cultivators nodded hurriedly. "We should leave!" "The war outside is raging—that's where we can truly make our mark. Bound hand and foot here, Wang Yuan will only grind us to death!" Cultivator Chu blurted out without hesitation. Pausing, as if trying to persuade the old man, he added, "We all underestimated Wang Yuan. Though his realm is only at the second layer of Foundation Establishment, his true strength doesn't rely on his immortal cultivation realm at all." Ku Chan nodded, and his aged voice uttered words that sounded like heavenly music to their ears: "Indeed, we did underestimate him. "He is different from us. In an environment with such violent spiritual qi, relying on a formidable physique makes him take to it like a fish to water. "Even at my seventh layer of Foundation Establishment, I have to tread cautiously when fighting him." Putting aside the occasional thunderstorms, the natural environment of the Ninth Peak was actually better than the outside. Yet the advantage was marginal at best. Spiritual energy here was abundant, but wildly turbulent. Ordinary Foundation Establishment True Cultivators could not recover their spiritual energy here by running their cultivation techniques; they could only rely on medicinal pills. Over several months, however, few pills remained in their possession. Wang Yuan, on the other hand, was completely different; his true capability lay in his physical body. Logically speaking, body cultivators were even less suited for protracted warfare. Yet this man possessed blood and qi of such terrifying abundance that over the months, far from weakening, he only grew stronger. Under his relentless hunting, Ku Chan's group suffered casualty after casualty. The hunters had become the hunted. The so-called eight-against-one where the odds favored them had become three-against-one, and not a single one among them felt confident they held any advantage. Cultivator Chu asked in delight, "So..." The corner of Ku Chan's mouth twitched. "You want to leave? Fine. I won't stop you." Cultivator Chu and the blue-robed cultivator exchanged glances of sheer relief. Just as they were about to step away, they paused hesitatingly. "Aren't you coming with us?" Ku Chan shook his head. "No. I must kill him and avenge my grudges!" Saying this, he gave them a faint, mocking smile. "Could it be you dare not leave on your own?" Cultivator Chu swallowed hard, dread in his eyes. If the three of them stuck together, Wang Yuan would surely find no opening. But if they left separately, wouldn't that give Wang Yuan the chance to pick them off one by one? Beside him, the blue-robed cultivator gritted his teeth. "I'm not staying either way! Brother Chu, let's travel together. No matter how strong he is, he won't dare confront both of us head-on!" Cultivator Chu thought about it and decided not to delay any further. Offering an apology to Ku Chan, the two cautiously mounted their artifacts and skimmed close to the ground, speeding toward the mountain's exit. Behind them, Ku Chan watched with cold eyes and uttered two barely audible words: "Fools." With that, a sudden premonition struck his heart, and he turned to gaze in a direction a hundred li away. "You really came. I won't let you off, and you refuse to let me off either. "Then let it be to the death!" With a shift of his body, Ku Chan retreated deeper into the Ninth Peak instead of advancing toward the perimeter. And right at the moment of his departure, a shrill scream rang out from outside. "Brother Chu, how could you..." "Fellow Daoist, I shall take my leave first! Since you cover my retreat today, I will surely look after your descendants!" In a dense patch of forest, finger-sized holes pierced straight through the blue-robed cultivator's body; looking from the front, daylight could be seen shining through from behind. A figure clad in coarse hemp garments stood there, black hair trailing behind him and fluttering without wind. His dark eyes were fierce and domineering. Gazing at Cultivator Chu, who had already fled over a hundred zhang away, he pressed his fingers together like a sword. Boundless blood and qi intertwined, condensing into an indescribable force. The next moment, he thrust a finger forward! Cultivator Chu, fleeing desperately as if anticipating this very move, instantly activated a talisman, while his top-grade defensive robe billowed to its limit. *Pfft!* The crimson force pierced the talisman's protective barrier, punched through the defensive robe, and lightly tapped against Cultivator Chu's back. A fleeting numbness flickered through him, like the harmless prick of a mosquito bite. Cultivator Chu rejoiced inwardly! Sure enough, beyond a certain distance, a body cultivator's techniques weren't nearly as effective! Earlier, that man's crimson finger force had been utterly unstoppable; no defensive artifact could block it. Whenever it struck a person, it detonated in an instant—nothing anyone below late Foundation Establishment could hope to withstand. Yet now, he had actually endured it. "My apologies, Brother Lin. "Better you perish than me. Chu takes his leave!" His escape light surged with speed, and after a few flickers, vanished from the hemp-robed cultivator's sight. Wang Yuan withdrew his hand and cast a cold glance in his direction, seemingly indifferent to whether the man lived or died. Casually snatching the blue-robed cultivator's storage bag, he turned around and, guided by an uncanny intuition, looked toward a certain direction. *That old dog runs fast!* *Yet if I do not slay you, I, Wang Yuan, will never rest easy!* A ruthless glint flashed across his eyes. With a single stride, he crossed five zhang. Bounding forward step after step, his figure vanished into the depths of the Ninth Peak in the blink of an eye.