After a thorough study, Luo Chen set aside Breaking Free from the Cage with a faint trace of regret.
This secret technique provided by Mount Ailao did indeed have its merits.
It emphasized turning the physical body into a cage and condensing spiritual qi into a Golden Core.
If one used the Golden Core to break free from the cage, the Great Dao would lay open before them from that moment forth.
It truly answered that age-old saying: "Once a Golden Core is swallowed down, my fate lies with me, not with the heavens."
However!
Its core methodology bore significant resemblance to Ice Fort's Dragon-Phoenix Tribulation secret technique.
Both relied on the external power of medicinal pills to form a Golden Core seed within the body.
The preparatory steps for core formation were very simple—all one needed was the appropriate medicinal pills.
Yet the success rate was far from high.
Moreover, even after forming a Golden Core, it would merely be an embryonic Golden Core seed, requiring a period of time to absorb sufficient spiritual qi before reaching the true Golden Core realm.
It was vastly inferior to what Locking Bead Curtain described: possessing Golden Core characteristics beforehand, and instantly becoming a genuine, bona fide Golden Core Master the moment the core formed.
"People say that regardless of which method one uses to form a core, it only affects the difficulty, not one's strength after achieving Core Formation. But from the looks of it now, while the Superior Method is indeed difficult, it is truly far stronger than the Inferior Methods.
"I wonder what an Intermediate Method Core Formation would be like?"
Luo Chen shook his head, set aside Breaking Free from the Cage, and turned to study Azure Pill Valley's Hunyuan Method instead.
Having gone through the two Inferior Method Core Formation secret techniques—Dragon-Phoenix Tribulation and Breaking Free from the Cage—Luo Chen did not hold particularly high hopes for the Hunyuan Method, which was also an Inferior Method.
Still, knowing more was always beneficial.
What if there was some knowledge inside that could be put to use?
Aside from studying Core Formation secret techniques, he had other matters to attend to in his daily routine.
Nourishing the body through diet, familiarizing himself with the variations of the Heavenly Roc True Form, and occasionally concocting a large batch of pills in person.
Meanwhile, his spiritual power had long since recovered, and his cultivation had entered an orderly, steady progression.
Time trickled away amidst Luo Chen's secluded cultivation.
……
In the blink of an eye, another year had passed.
A hundred li away from the former ancestral grounds of the Geng family, amidst a barren mountain devoid of spiritual qi.
For some reason, a thick fog had begun to roll in since the early hours of this morning.
At first, it was thought to be ordinary morning mist.
Yet as the morning sun rose, the dense fog lingered without scattering, and the cultivators hiding within realized something was wrong.
They attempted to charge their way out, only to discover that they had long since fallen into a bewildering maze formation.
Outside the barren mountain.
Three figures stood quietly, all of them Foundation Establishment True Cultivators!
If anyone approached, they would discover that these three were all prominent figures occupying high positions in the Luotian Association.
Elder Min Longyu, Luo Net Elder Su Xiaolin, and Scripture Transmission Hall Master Wang Yuan.
"For over a year now, the scoundrels spying on our Luotian Association have come in an unending stream!"
"Thanks to Hall Master Wang stepping in numerous times, our Luotian Association has remained safe."
"The cultivator in this barren mountain today possesses formidable cultivation, reaching the ninth level of Foundation Establishment. If Elder Min hadn't taken action, he might very well have escaped."
Su Xiaolin sighed from the bottom of his heart at the prowess of Min Longyu's formations.
At merely the fourth level of Foundation Establishment, Min Longyu had laid down a formation that could briefly trap a ninth-level Foundation Establishment grand cultivator as well as two mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.
It was truly incredible.
Min Longyu chuckled.
His cultivation progress was considered rapid within the Luotian Association.
In less than twenty years, he had already entered the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment!
Leaving aside the two outside cultivators, Chu Kui and Xu Huanzhen, his current cultivation realm was even higher than those of Wang Yuan, Duan Feng, and the others.
Yet this was only natural.
After all, he had established his foundation several years earlier and was skilled in array formations.
Setting up a few cultivation-assisting formations tailored specifically to himself was hardly a difficult task.
He replied casually, "The credit doesn't belong to me alone. Elder Su gathered intelligence and discovered these people in advance, which gave me the chance to lay down the grand array preemptively. You deserve top honors for this!"
Su Xiaolin waved his hand modestly.
"My achievements today are largely due to the Foundation Establishment Pill you all exchanged from the battlefield."
He had successfully established his foundation last year, stepping ahead of Zhou Yuanli, Feng Xia, Yuan Xiaoyue, and the rest.
After reaching Foundation Establishment, managing the Battle Hall's Luo Net intelligence department had become even more effortless.
Now, he was already a tremendous help to President Sima Huiniang.
Looking at Wang Yuan, who had remained still all this time, Su Xiaolin asked, "Hall Master Wang, the enemy is quite powerful. Do you need me to notify Hall Master Chu?"
Ever since Sima Xian fell, the position of Battle Hall Master in the Luotian Association had been concurrently held by Luo Chen.
However, three years ago, Chu Kui joined the Luotian Association.
After observing him for some time, President Sima Huiniang took it upon herself to appoint him as Battle Hall Master.
There had been some murmurs among the lower ranks regarding this matter.
Yet the upper echelons of the Luotian Association had unanimously approved it, without a single objection.
He was, after all, a ninth-level Foundation Establishment grand expert, a renowned leader among rogue cultivators within Tianlan Immortal City, and someone who had previously traded blows with a Golden Core Master.
Serving as a hall master in a second-rate faction was more than within his capabilities.
Facing his question, Wang Yuan shook his head.
Su Xiaolin was puzzled.
Wang Yuan showed no signs of taking action, nor would he let him invite their hall's Master Chu Kui.
Could it be that they simply intended to trap those rogue cultivators inside to give them a warning?
"Wait a moment," Wang Yuan said flatly.
Suppressing the curiosity in his heart, Su Xiaolin waited quietly.
In truth, he did not wait long.
After just a few minutes, a green streak of light arrived overhead.
Wang Yuan looked up, exchanged glances with the figure, and gave a slow nod.
Immediately after, that streak of light plunged straight into the grand array swirling with white clouds.
As he flew, the white mist parted continuously, clearing a pathway.
Watching this scene, a thought faintly surfaced in Su Xiaolin's mind.
*So the Association Leader really has returned!*
*That person must be the Association Leader!*
*Still, sending him in alone while we just stand by and watch?*
He did not ask the question aloud.
Years of intelligence work had conditioned him to ask less, speak less, and do more.
He only needed to gather the intelligence his superiors required.
As for what to do afterward, someone else would naturally make that call.
Even so, having the Association Leader face the enemy alone still left a trace of worry in his heart.
In this state of mind, he focused all his attention on the barren mountain shrouded in white mist. The moment he sensed anything amiss, he stood ready to charge in.
Even if it cost him his life, he would protect the Association Leader's safety!
As he watched intently, a change occurred inside the mountain.
The three enemies seemed to have sensed the shift in the formation, charging outward in unison.
At the same time, an enormous colossus suddenly manifested, faintly visible amidst the dense white mist.
The moment this colossus appeared, it swept out a vast expanse of red light.
Wherever the red light passed, it tainted all the white mist, turning it into dense layers of miasma that engulfed the two mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.
In mere moments, agonizing screams rang out.
Seeing this, the remaining person was struck with sheer terror.
His superior cultivation allowed him to flee with incredible speed.
In the blink of an eye, he rode his flying sword and burst out of the maze formation.
As his figure appeared, Su Xiaolin's face changed at the foot of the mountain.
"Not good, he got out!"
"Hall Master Wang, should we intercept him?"
Wang Yuan did not answer him.
What answered him was a gigantic claw reaching out from the depths of the white mist.
*Whoosh!*
Facing that heaven-shaking claw, the grand cultivator's expression shifted drastically, instantly activating his prepared defensive measures.
Brownish-yellow light burst forth as three earthen walls resembling towering peaks rose in rapid succession.
The Triple Earth-Shield Talisman!
The defense of this talisman was so formidable that only a Golden Core cultivator could breach it!
After deploying the talisman, the grand cultivator felt slightly relieved, finally finding the leeway to observe who was attacking them.
Yet what met his eyes filled him with boundless shock.
"A demon beast?"
"How could there be demon beasts operating near Tianlan Immortal City?"
"Wait, no, it seems to be a Tier 3 demon beast!"
Just as he was reelingly stunned, the heaven-shaking claw made contact with the three massive earthen walls.
*Rip!*
*Rip!*
*Rip!*
Like a knife slicing through tofu, the supposedly impenetrable defense of the Triple Earth-Shield Talisman shattered in the blink of an eye before this claw.
Yet the power of this claw was not exhausted.
It struck directly against the grand cultivator's body.
*Boom!*
A violent, monstrous force blasted him several li away with a single blow.
Only then did the colossal claw slowly retract.
Su Xiaolin's mouth fell open, his eyes wide, as he watched this scene in utter disbelief.
Vaguely, he seemed to behold a Tier 3 Demon King from the depths of the Eastern Desolation's Million Mountains.
At rest, it exhaled clouds and mist.
In motion, it struck like a bolt of thunder.
Yet how was that possible?
"That man isn't dead. Go capture him and bring him back to the Luotian Association for a proper interrogation. Squeeze out every drop of value you can."
Wang Yuan's calm instruction reached his ears.
Suppressing the excitement in his chest, Su Xiaolin hurried toward the direction where the grand cultivator had crashed down.
When he arrived, he indeed saw an unconscious middle-aged man lying inside a massive crater.
Looking at the horrifying depression in the man's chest and abdomen, Su Xiaolin could not help but swallow hard.
*That definitely wasn't a Tier 3 Demon King!*
*Which means... it was some kind of mighty technique belonging to the Association Leader?*
*Still, isn't this far too powerful? A single strike incapacitated a ninth-level Foundation Establishment grand cultivator!*
*Well, of course! The Association Leader is someone who directly killed a Golden Core elder of the Yan Alliance. How could a mere ninth-level Foundation Establishment cultivator compete with the radiant moon?*
In a brief moment, he had gone from shock and confusion to total affirmation of Luo Chen's prowess.
Such a psychological shift was remarkably swift.
Only Luo Chen's unbroken record of victories over the years could support Su Xiaolin's boundless confidence in him.
……
At the barren mountain, the clouds and mist gradually receded.
Luo Chen strode out, looking at the two with a smile.
"Association Leader!" Min Longyu put away his formation plate and bowed respectfully.
"Mm, not bad! I haven't seen you use this formation before," Luo Chen praised with a chuckle.
Min Longyu smiled faintly. "Actually, I have used it. It's just a variation of the formation I used back during the battle of Gaoling Plain."
"Oh, it did feel a bit familiar."
Luo Chen came to an understanding.
Though he hadn't entered the formation during the battle of Gaoling Plain, he had heard about it afterward.
That formation indeed possessed a bewildering effect.
If Min Longyu hadn't secretly gone easy, the cultivators of the Luotian Association would have had a hard time breaking out quickly.
"You are growing more and more adept with this Heavenly Roc True Form. You can even rein in your strength to spare that man's life," Wang Yuan remarked with emotion.
To exert and restrain force at will was proof of profound mastery!
Luo Chen paused and glanced back at the barren mountain behind him.
Yet he said, "I have your advice and planning to thank for this. Otherwise, I wouldn't have mastered these methods so quickly."
Wang Yuan shook his head.
He had merely offered a few suggestions and adjustments.
What truly made the difference was Luo Chen's own painstaking study.
Withdrawing his gaze, Luo Chen furrowed his brows. "A whole year has already passed. Why are there still so many rogue cultivators scheming after the Core Formation secret techniques?"
Min Longyu chimed in, saying, "After all, this concerns the Great Dao itself. No one could resist the temptation."
Luo Chen shook his head firmly. "It can't be that simple!"
Min Longyu paused in surprise.
Meanwhile, Wang Yuan pondered for a moment before speaking calmly, "Indeed, it's not that simple. When Chu Kui exchanged for the Core Formation secret techniques back then, it was done in secret. On our way back to Tianlan, we rushed day and night without ever revealing our tracks. It is impossible for news to have leaked on such a grand scale."
"Could someone have deduced it from the sudden disappearance of our merit points on the Merit Board?" Min Longyu offered as an alternative explanation.
However!
Both Luo Chen and Wang Yuan shook their heads at that.
At that time, the Soul Transformation Relic had just opened, and everyone's attention was fixed upon it.
If Ling Yuzhi hadn't recognized Chu Kui, she wouldn't have tracked them down so swiftly.
Furthermore, it was right at the cusp of an impending armistice.
Many subordinate factions were lavishly spending their accumulated merit points to exchange for the resources they needed.
While the Luotian Association's merit exchange had caused some commotion, among the myriad factions, it was merely slightly out of the ordinary.
For now, the question remained unanswered.
Luo Chen clapped his hands. "Let's go. Back to Danxia Peak. Next time you encounter troublesome enemies, notify me earlier so I can use them to practice and get used to my new fighting style."
At this point, he smiled at Wang Yuan. "I might be stealing your job a bit."
The corner of Wang Yuan's mouth twitched, completely unbothered.
He was currently stuck at the bottleneck of comprehending Neutralizing Force; relying on combat alone was no longer very effective.
Years of accumulation had allowed him to achieve great mastery in Hidden Force on the battlefield, even catching a glimpse of the Neutralizing Force realm.
Yet by now, that accumulation had been exhausted, and what he needed was to rebuild his foundation.
His primary focus at present was on Convergence of Myriad Paths, which Luo Chen had given him.
If he could apply its core principles to his own path of body refining, he might achieve great mastery in Neutralizing Force and make a direct push for Core Force in one stroke!
As the three walked along, they soon passed by the former ancestral grounds of the Geng family.
Now, this spirit land had long since been leased by the Luotian Association and converted into a spirit beast breeding base.
Its main focus was on raising silkworm-type spirit beasts.
Over the years, under the direction of Sima Huiniang and Xu Huanzhen, they had also expanded into breeding several varieties of Tier 1 demon beasts known for high meat yields.
Currently, the Spirit Beast Hall had become one of the Luotian Association's vital sources of revenue.
Luo Chen released his spiritual sense, took a light reading of the area, and couldn't help showing a look of satisfaction.
Once past the spirit beast breeding base, seeing that Luo Chen was still walking alongside them, Min Longyu asked curiously,
"Association Leader, are you returning to Danxia Peak today?"
"Mm. Don't make a fuss later; I'll slip in quietly," Luo Chen paused, the corners of his mouth curving slightly. "I'm also picking someone up from work."
Min Longyu's expression stiffened as he caught the faint whiff of sickening sweetness.
……
"Why are you here?"
"To take you home."
Sima Huiniang froze for a moment, then asked, "You're coming to my place tonight?"
"I wouldn't say no." Luo Chen sat down lazily in a chair, waving a hand to summon a bamboo slip into his grasp.
"You make it sound like such a burden," Sima Huiniang huffed, lowering her head to look at the intelligence reports on her desk before speaking softly, "Give me a moment. Once I finish reading through the intelligence Su Xiaolin submitted, we can head back."
"Mm, take your time."
Luo Chen nodded, his eyes falling onto the contents of the bamboo slip.
The matters written upon it happened to be in Luo Chen's area of expertise.
The medicinal pill trade!
After perusing it, Luo Chen frowned.
"Didn't Zheng Tianfang of Gunlong Ridge's Zheng family die? The Zheng family currently only has two Foundation Establishment True Cultivators left. Why haven't we taken over their market share after all these years?"
Sima Huiniang looked up, brushing aside a strand of hair that hung near the corner of her lips.
"It's not as simple as that. Things have been very strange on the Zheng family's end lately!"
"Oh?"
Sima Huiniang's expression turned slightly solemn. "According to my original plan, I intended to seize the opportunity when the subordinate factions of the various sects suffered heavy losses to swallow up a few smaller factions and expand the scope of our business.
"Initially, things proceeded quite smoothly. Especially with the intelligence support from you and Chu Kui, we even teamed up with Luosha Workshop to swallow the mineral business run by Iron Sword Hall."
Iron Sword Hall Master Zuo Song had died at Luo Chen's hands!
This intelligence was locked inside the Soul Transformation Relic, and many were completely unaware of it.
Under Sima Huiniang's leadership, the Luotian Association had quietly launched an annexation, catching the other party entirely off guard.
With the hall leaderless and the Luo family of Luosha Workshop cooperating in the strike, the takeover had gone exceptionally smoothly.
Yet when it came to the seemingly weaker Zheng family, they had hit a wall!
"According to Luo Net's intelligence, quite a few outside Foundation Establishment True Cultivators have appeared within the Zheng family—no fewer than five in total. Unless our Luotian Association launches a full-scale assault, it will be very difficult to eliminate them quietly."
A full-scale assault was out of the question!
At present, the two great Nascent Soul supreme sects had only ceased fighting behind the scenes; a true armistice covenant had not yet been finalized.
Under such circumstances, no subordinate faction dared to openly attack the subordinate forces belonging to either sect.
It was simply too sensitive!
To do such a thing, it had to be done quietly.
Furthermore, it was best not to act alone; teaming up with allies to share the pressure was the ideal approach.
Luo Chen was surprised. "A new batch of Foundation Establishment True Cultivators appeared? How strange!"
The Zheng family's medicinal pill business was decent, but only decent.
Just like the Luotian Association in its earlier days, it could support the consumption of two or three Foundation Establishment True Cultivators at most.
It could not possibly sustain more Foundation Establishment True Cultivators, meaning hiring consecrated elders was out of the question.
For so many people to suddenly appear now was truly peculiar.
Just as he was pondering the matter, hurried footsteps approached from outside the hall.
Sima Huiniang glanced at Luo Chen.
Luo Chen nodded, signaling that there was no need to avoid being seen.
Before long, the person outside was announced and strode into the room.
"President, from the cultivator captured earlier, I... Association Leader?"
Su Xiaolin looked at Luo Chen in surprise and hurried to offer a bow.
The man's presence here was unexpected, yet entirely within reason.
Luo Chen nodded. "What intelligence did you get? Let's hear it."
Su Xiaolin's expression grew solemn. "It's about the Core Formation secret techniques! According to that rogue cultivator from beyond the region, news that our Luotian Association exchanged for all four secret techniques in one fell swoop has been widely publicized!"
Sima Huiniang's expression shifted, and she slapped the desk with her palm.
"Who did it?"
Luo Chen's expression also darkened slightly as he fixed his gaze on Su Xiaolin.
Under the scrutiny of both leaders, Su Xiaolin felt immense pressure weighing down on him.
With great difficulty, he forced out two words.
"Yan Alliance!"
Chapter 400