"Pull off a major operation?"
Luo Chen's brow twitched.
His spiritual eyes swept over Chu Kui. It was evident the man had bathed and cleaned himself, yet a dense, bloodstained baleful aura still clung to him. Clearly, he had slaughtered countless lives and accumulated no small amount of sin over this period. For him to describe it as "major," it was bound to be no minor matter.
"Let's hear it," Luo Chen said flatly.
Chu Kui relaxed slightly. Since the other was willing to listen, there was hope for this venture.
Dropping all pretense, he said bluntly, "You and I join forces to hunt cultivators of the Sword Sect alliance and secure the Luoyun Sect's superior Core Formation secret technique!"
Hearing this, Luo Chen chuckled.
He shook his head and laughed. "Do you have any idea how many merit points are required to exchange for that superior method?"
"I know full well: a thousand Qi Refinement cultivators, or a hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators—and if we can slay a few late Foundation Establishment ones, it'll be even simpler!" Chu Kui spoke with fluent confidence, clearly having come prepared.
"Simpler? Hahaha..."
Luo Chen burst out laughing, pointing at Chu Kui. "If it's so simple, why bother coming to me?"
Chu Kui let out a helpless sigh.
Indeed!
It sounded simple in words, but accomplishing it was an entirely different matter.
Even on the battlefield, certain unspoken rules still had to be observed—such as king against king, general against general, and soldier against soldier. The destructive power of high-level cultivators was simply too terrifying. The gulf between cultivation realms was an insurmountable chasm!
If a late Foundation Establishment cultivator threw all shame to the wind and recklessly slaughtered Qi Refinement cultivators, it would be like a tiger let loose among sheep. Never mind late Foundation Establishment—even an early Foundation Establishment cultivator could mow down swathes of them.
However, the Core Formation Masters overseeing the battlefield would never allow such a thing to happen. Put plainly, once that rule was broken, if Foundation Establishment cultivators could do it, Core Formation Masters could do it as well. And what would stop Nascent Soul Perfected Persons from doing the same? In the end, both factions would wipe out the other's mountain ranks until only solitary commanders remained, rendering the entire war utterly pointless.
Therefore, the rules established by both sides were strictly meant for cultivators of the same realm. Foundation Establishment cultivators were forbidden from excessively targeting Qi Refinement juniors.
Given Chu Kui's capabilities, he feared no fellow Foundation Establishment cultivator in single combat. But hunting down a hundred Foundation Establishment True Cultivators was a challenge of astronomical proportions.
What was more, rampant kill-stealing was happening on the battlefield! He would batter an opponent into severe injury, only for several sect true disciples nearby to take an interest, swoop in together to intercept the fleeing foe, and rob him of any credit. As a rogue cultivator, Chu Kui had nowhere to air such grievances!
Seeing Chu Kui's helpless expression, Luo Chen reined in his smile.
He stated evenly, "To tell you the truth, Brother Chu, in not too long, I will likely lead my team to withdraw to the far rear. Once that happens, the affairs here will have nothing to do with me."
Chu Kui's expression shifted slightly.
"How is that possible? Ice Fort has the fewest vassals and lacks cannon fodder the most. Would they actually agree to let your Luotian Association withdraw?"
Faced with his disbelief, Luo Chen shook his head.
"As of now, I am a guest elder of Ice Fort, holding a status of respect no lower than a Core Formation Master. It is merely a matter of taking around a hundred Qi Refinement cultivators with me; naturally, they will grant me this face."
Chu Kui parted his lips, but ultimately found no words to retort.
Indeed!
The prestige of Danchenzi was not won with fists, but built on genuine alchemy mastery. Such a rare talent would receive deference from any great sect. The mere presence of someone like Luo Chen on the battlefield was already absurd to begin with!
Seeing his disappointment, Luo Chen could not help asking, "With your abilities, joining forces with a few other late-stage cultivators to rack up merits on the battlefield shouldn't be difficult, should it? Why seek out my Luotian Association in particular?"
To this, Chu Kui could only manage a wry smile.
"You're mistaken on that front. Though I have wide connections, most are superficial acquaintances. When there's work, they think of me, but when it comes to life-and-death struggles, they wouldn't dare trust me with their backs—and naturally, neither would I trust them!"
Luo Chen said somewhat awkwardly, "My words might sound harsh, but... though you and I share some history, our ties can hardly be called deep. Under such circumstances, how dare you place your trust in me?"
Lies did not hurt; the truth was the sharpest blade.
Chu Kui also smiled awkwardly, but quickly turned serious. "I place considerable faith in the name of Fire Spirit Lord!"
Luo Chen paused, then let out an understanding smile.
The world assumed his Daoist title, Fire Spirit Lord, was solely earned through his formidable fire arts. Yet that was not entirely so. Within the name was the character for 'lord'—a man of principle! Even if he could hardly be called purely righteous, in the deceitful, dog-eat-dog cultivation world, he was one of the few who still held a baseline of honor.
Chu Kui stated frankly, "I know quite a bit about how you conduct yourself. You are generous to your subordinates, open-hearted with friends, and even toward someone like Tao Wan—where your ties were merely entangled in mutual benefit—once you made a promise, you spared no effort. If I had to pick one person out of the tens of thousands of cultivators on this vast battlefield whom I could entrust with my back, it would only be you!"
*If you know how to flatter, do go on.* Luo Chen rather enjoyed hearing someone praise him to his face!
"Furthermore, if I join the Luotian Association, given your habit of treating subordinates generously, you would never stand by and watch me die if I fell into danger," Chu Kui said slowly.
There was truth to his words. Luo Chen had always treated his own people well. In particular, this time when he personally took to the battlefield, the members of the Luotian Association had come to revere him to the utmost.
Yet hearing this, Luo Chen was momentarily taken aback.
"Join the Luotian Association?" He repeated the phrase, as though unsure he had heard correctly.
Chu Kui nodded and said seriously, "I've studied the four sects' rules for merit redemption. If a rogue cultivator exchanges for that Core Formation secret technique, only that single person is permitted to use it. However, if a vassal faction exchanges for it, the entire faction is allowed to use it together, provided it is not easily leaked outside. For a single person, amassing ten thousand merits is exceedingly difficult. But if the strength of an entire faction is gathered, earning that many merits isn't nearly as hard. That is why I thought of partnering with you."
*So that's how it is!*
No wonder the man's very first words of greeting had not addressed him as fellow Daoist, Brother, or even by name, but had respectfully called him "President Luo." He had been waiting for this all along!
In the blink of an eye, Luo Chen unraveled the logic behind it.
Naturally, his focus settled on Chu Kui's insight into the rules for redeeming secret techniques with merits. Gathering the strength of a faction to earn ten thousand merits and exchange for a superior Core Formation secret technique—was it hard? Certainly! But it seemed... perhaps not entirely out of reach?
Luo Chen calculated to what extent he could perform in large-scale Foundation Establishment battles if he had a trustworthy teammate to watch his back.
Chu Kui, meanwhile, already provided the answer:
"I've witnessed your fire arts before; every one of them is immensely powerful and covers a tremendous area! Especially that strike you used to execute Wei Tuo back then—it faintly contained the power of sealing and suppression! If you and I join forces, we can slaughter a dozen ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators with ease! If we fight as a mobile strike force and repeat it a few times, ten thousand merits will be nothing!"
He emphasized every word heavily. His tone carried unreserved recognition of Luo Chen's prowess.
Others might not know what Luo Chen was capable of, but Chu Kui had served as his sparring partner for a time. Beneath Luo Chen's seemingly gentle smile lay a terrifying strength that even late Foundation Establishment cultivators could not underestimate. In fact, because fire arts possessed an exceptionally wide area of destruction, Luo Chen's threat against lower-realm enemies far surpassed that of late Foundation Establishment cultivators who relied overly on dharma artifacts and treasures.
Faced with his endorsement, Luo Chen remained silent.
Yet in Chu Kui's eyes, this silence was the best possible news. It meant Luo Chen was genuinely weighing the feasibility of the plan!
Seeing this, he struck while the iron was hot.
"I'm not someone who looks only at short-term gains. Regardless of whether this succeeds or fails, once we collaborate, I will formally join the Luotian Association and acknowledge you as my superior! As long as you don't mind the enemies I have outside, I, Chu Kui, will never abandon Luotian. Not only that, if we succeed, I will owe you an immense personal favor."
Luo Chen's eyelids twitched in his silence.
Chu Kui was practically selling himself! To form a core, he was even willing to stoop to a second-rate faction like the Luotian Association. With his strength and reputation, plenty of first-rate factions would gladly recruit him, and even Core Formation great sects wouldn't mind taking in such a talent. Clearly, he was desperate not to miss this opportunity.
Only...
Suddenly, Chu Kui called out proudly, his words cutting straight to the depths of Luo Chen's heart:
"Luo Chen! Do you truly have no ambition toward a superior method of Core Formation?"
At this, Luo Chen finally raised his head, looking straight into the other man's tiger-like eyes blazing with fighting spirit.
He said softly, "Give me half a month."
Chu Kui started, then beamed with delight. Half a month was well worth the wait!
***
Did Luo Chen have ambitions toward a superior method of Core Formation?
Most certainly!
Otherwise, possessing the Dragon-Phoenix Tribulation secret technique would not have stopped him from asking Tao Wan for even better Core Formation techniques. Although Tao Wan could not provide the core art itself, she had given him the Core Formation insights penned by her family ancestor. It was precisely after reading *Nanshan Daojie* that Luo Chen truly understood how vast a difference various grades of secret techniques made to the probability of success!
An inferior method of Core Formation was the simplest, yet offered the lowest odds, increasing success by merely ten percent. An intermediate method was relatively better, but only marginally so, adding another ten to twenty percent. Only a superior method of Core Formation—though the most arduous—could boost the success rate by a full thirty to forty percent once one reached the threshold!
Some might think thirty to forty percent sounded like little, hardly anything to boast of. But drawing an analogy to Foundation Establishment: having a Foundation Establishment Pill granted an extra thirty percent chance; without one, a cultivator was left entirely at the mercy of natural talent and fortune. Luo Chen had never dared pin his hopes on fortune or luck. And as for talent, he had no confidence whatsoever. When establishing his foundation, he had consumed five whole sets of Foundation Establishment spiritual herbs before barely succeeding.
If Foundation Establishment had been that difficult, Core Formation would only be far more severe. Furthermore, the higher the realm, the more terrifying the backlash from a failed breakthrough. Luo Chen could not guarantee that he could rely on his foundation to attempt breakthroughs repeatedly as he had with Foundation Establishment. But if he had a superior Core Formation secret technique...
Inside the stone hut, Luo Chen emerged from his cultivation state, calculating what his future Core Formation odds would be with a superior secret technique. The final result remained unknown, for before reaching the peak of Foundation Establishment, it was difficult to judge how much further progress he could make. At the very least, he needed to ensure that the success rate boosted by external auxiliary secret techniques reached its absolute limit.
As for venturing onto the battlefield?
Once he made up his mind, he would not hesitate or look back in fear. Along his journey, whenever faced with momentous choices, he had almost never retreated. Whether it was exterminating the Fu family, storming Mount Xiaohuan, or fighting alone at the Qinhua River—which time had he not overcome the strong from a position of weakness? Which time had he not advanced against the tide?
Even in the mortal realm, there was a saying: *Merit and renown are won on horseback.*
In the cultivation world, it was all the more true!
One had to contend with others, contend with the heavens, and above all, contend with oneself! If he had not gambled on perilous paths at every turn, Luo Chen would never have reached his current heights in a mere twenty years. Cowardice, retreat, compromise, and muddling along day by day were not the ways of those who aspired to the Grand Dao!
However, Luo Chen's struggles were never the reckless gambles of a fool. Without seventy to eighty percent certainty, he would never place himself in absolute danger.
In the coming campaign, he would not deploy the cultivators of the Luotian Association. Swords and blades had no eyes on the battlefield. Although the association's members were elites among rogue cultivators, in clashes involving hundreds or thousands of Foundation Establishment experts, they could far too easily be caught in the crossfire. Therefore, the main force for this endeavor would consist solely of him and Chu Kui.
Luo Chen had a good grasp of Chu Kui's capabilities. He was at the ninth level of Foundation Establishment, and his customary weapon was a magic treasure long staff refined to an exceptionally high degree. In addition, he was proficient in body-refining arts, with further hidden means that had not been displayed in public, though they were surely formidable. After all, the Daoist title Tiankuizi was no hollow reputation; it had been carved out through sheer combat prowess. Having frequently taken on shady contracts over the years, Chu Kui possessed far more combat experience than Luo Chen himself! One could say that unless the Dao Children of the seven sects stepped forth, Chu Kui yielded to no one.
As for himself, Luo Chen was even more confident. Winning or losing aside, when it came to the art of escaping, he was absolutely certain of his ability. Thus, in terms of self-preservation, he already held a firm assurance.
*A pity. If Wang Yuan were still here, the three of us could form a battle array and sweep across the field unopposed!* Luo Chen sighed.
With his own near-instantaneous, wide-area offensive spells, paired with Wang Yuan's pinpoint piercing power, and backed by Chu Kui's profound realm and rich combat experience—under the coordination of all three, he would truly have confidence in seizing enough merits on the battlefield. One could only say that nothing in this world was ever perfect. Although Wang Yuan had returned alive, the legend of the Blood Demon hanging over him meant he could not show his face for the time being. Doing so would only invite trouble for the Luotian Association.
At the thought of the Blood Demon, Luo Chen's brow furrowed. That was a False Core cultivator. Encountering him on the battlefield would spell immense trouble. Luo Chen would have to find an opportunity to explain this clearly to Chu Kui beforehand so the man could remain on guard.
After turning these thoughts over, the fatigue built up from Luo Chen's cultivation dissipated considerably. He did not idle either, immediately employing the Blood-Melting Demon Finger alongside the Cleansing Art to set about removing the flame imprint on his forehead. The reason he had asked for half a month was precisely to purge this nuisance. Half a month ought to be enough! Only then could he step onto the battlefield without lingering worries.
Time slipped past amidst this diligent refinement.
During this period, Luo Chen went out once to attend an open trade fair held on the Golden Sand Floating Island, where he managed to obtain a few modest gains.
When the tenth day arrived, Luo Chen suddenly stepped out of his stone hut.
Cultivators doing the same were by no means few across the floating island. Everyone looked up at the sky in unison.
A massive flying boat came rumbling from the distance, parting clouds and sweeping aside mist. The hundred-zhang behemoth was an intimidating sight to behold.
"A Magic Treasure-grade flying boat!"
"Such an imposing display could only mean an important figure from the Luoyun Sect has mobilized in person!"
Amidst the clamor of discussion, Chu Kui quietly stepped to Luo Chen's side.
"A Magic Treasure flying boat like that is bound to be carrying battle puppets of tremendous might. Luo Chen, the time is ripe!"
Chapter 382