Before the desk.
With head bowed and Jinzhu brush in hand, Luo Chen slowly wrote across a sheet of Xuan paper.
This was no daily exercise tracing ancient models to practice calligraphy and painting; he was composing an exceedingly important letter.
Since transmigrating, by virtue of inheriting all the original host's legacy, he naturally understood the language and written script of this world.
Yet understanding was all it amounted to.
When it came to actual calligraphy, his skill was quite mediocre.
Following Min Longyu's advice, he had kept up the habit of copying a few sheets of ancient sages' calligraphy every day.
Now that some time had passed, his handwriting was reasonably presentable.
Even so, with every stroke of the brush, he weighed each word with utmost care.
Only after a long while did he set the brush down.
Waiting for the ink on the letter to air-dry, Luo Chen turned his mind to planning what needed to be done next.
To strike at the Yan Alliance, he had to act fast!
He must not give them a chance to catch their breath.
Only a few days had passed since the Falling Cloud Sect slaughtered the Yan Alliance. For the alliance to rest, recover, and regain any real strength would take years at the very least!
What Luo Chen intended to do was not to wait idly for a year or two.
He wanted to strike at the Yan Alliance in the shortest possible time.
Neither giving the Yan Alliance time to recover, nor giving its few remaining Golden Core cultivators enough time to heal their wounds.
Yet attacking their mountain gate would be no simple matter.
The Luotian Association's own strength was far too meager.
Therefore, what he had to rely on was external force.
Luo Chen planned to leverage every force within his reach.
And the first among them was the Ice Fort, with whom he shared deep ties.
The ink on the letter was dry.
Luo Chen placed it into a jade box, formed a series of incantation hand-seals with both hands, and cast dozens of restriction seals over it in the blink of an eye.
Finally, he attached the envelope.
***
"To be opened by the esteemed Master Canglong in person!"
Xu Xiaoliu stared at the words on the envelope, momentarily unable to process them.
"Yes, this letter is meant for the Ice Fort's Supreme Elder, Master Canglong."
Luo Chen nodded, then said solemnly, "However, you must deliver this letter into Master Jueqing's hands first!"
Xu Xiaoliu was startled.
Turning it over in his mind, he understood Luo Chen's intention.
Nowadays, Luo Chen was nominally a guest elder of the Ice Fort. If matters arose, proper protocol would naturally dictate approaching the sect master or the supreme elder.
Yet Luo Chen's earlier identity had been as a subordinate of the Jueqing lineage.
Even when seeking assistance, bypassing Fairy Jueqing entirely would be improper.
All the more so now that Fairy Jueqing had advanced to the mid Golden Core stage, elevating her standing in the Ice Fort; she could not be slighted in the least.
"Go on!"
"I'll be waiting for your reply."
Luo Chen patted Xu Xiaoliu on the shoulder, his gaze filled with trust and encouragement.
Xu Xiaoliu had once been nothing more than an itinerant rogue cultivator without steady employment in Tianlan Immortal City, taking odd jobs through the care of an elder to barely scrape by in his cultivation.
Yet after joining the Luotian Association, his circumstances had transformed completely.
Not only had he become an outer sect steward, but by leveraging his familiarity with the immortal city, he diligently served the association.
He had earned abundant resources, not only achieving Qi Refining perfection, but also breaking through the Foundation Establishment barrier in one breath to become a True Cultivator.
Now, not only did he hold considerable standing within the Luotian Association, even the Xu family—subordinate to the Ice Fort—had welcomed him back into the clan, with every indication that he might inherit the mantle of family head in the future.
From a mortal's perspective, Xu Xiaoliu was both successful in his career and bringing honor to his ancestors.
And all of this had begun to shift the moment he crossed paths with Luo Chen.
Even if one could not call it dying for one who truly recognized his worth, Xu Xiaoliu harbored deep affection and loyalty toward the Luotian Association.
Whenever assigned a task by the leadership, he carried it out flawlessly.
The last letter he had delivered helped resolve the Luotian Association's crisis.
What about this time?
Xu Xiaoliu took a deep breath and carefully placed the box containing Luo Chen's personal letter into his storage bag.
"President, Xiaoliu will surely fulfill this mission!"
"Mm."
After Xu Xiaoliu departed, Luo Chen did not stop.
Before long, Wang Yuan and Chu Kui, having received word, arrived at his cave dwelling.
Upon their arrival, they were stunned by Luo Chen's opening words.
"I intend to move against the Yan Alliance. Are you willing to assist me?"
A moment of silence fell over the hall.
Yet after only a breath, a deep, resonant voice broke it.
"Just tell me what to do!"
It was Wang Yuan who spoke.
Following his initial shock, he chose as always to place his faith in Luo Chen.
Or perhaps, to him, this battle was not merely helping Luo Chen, but fighting for himself.
After all, the root cause of the Yan Alliance targeting the Luotian Association and Luo Chen was that Luo Chen had killed Yanleizi—the descendant of a Yan Alliance Golden Core cultivator—to save him.
Had that incident not occurred, none of the subsequent troubles would have followed.
Luo Chen felt a wave of relief. Brother Wang was truly his Brother Wang!
Chu Kui gave a wry smile and looked at Wang Yuan. "You're quick to agree, but haven't you considered that they are a great Golden Core sect?"
Wang Yuan shook his head without arguing, simply found a chair, and sat down.
He looked entirely at ease, as if they were not about to face a great Golden Core sect, but some nameless Qi Refining rogue cultivator.
Seeing this attitude, Chu Kui was momentarily speechless.
He hesitated. Currently, he was at the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment, at a crucial juncture of pushing toward perfection.
Though this realm was the strongest phase of Foundation Establishment, it was also the least suitable for fighting.
On the Mount Thunder Accumulation battlefield, with so many Foundation Establishment True Cultivators and late-stage grand cultivators everywhere, top experts at the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment from the six sects were few and far between.
Instead, most who took part were rogue cultivators like him searching for Core Formation secret techniques.
The reason lay precisely here.
Once a cultivator reached the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment, so long as they were not pressed by lifespan limits, Core Formation became the prerequisite and top priority of everything they did.
Furthermore, setting personal cultivation aside, a colossus like the Yan Alliance was enough to make anyone shrink back just hearing its name!
Did he not see? Earlier, they had sent only a single Golden Core elder without deploying a single disciple under his command, yet relying solely on a few subordinate factions, they had driven the Luotian Association to the brink of destruction.
And now, Luo Chen was bluntly saying he wanted to move against the Yan Alliance and attack their very mountain gate.
How could he not hesitate?
Luo Chen took in his hesitation, having fully expected it.
He then recounted the words he had shared with Sima Huiniang from beginning to end, supplemented with several new insights and thoughts he had developed over the past two days.
When he finished, Chu Kui let out a long sigh.
"Going by what you've said, this truly is the best opportunity for the Luotian Association to take revenge."
"Indeed!" Luo Chen nodded heavily. "If we miss this chance, even if we all succeed in forming our Cores in the future, the Yan Alliance's foundation will likely allow them to nurture even more Golden Core cultivators. By then, the situation will only be far more complicated, and revenge will be completely out of reach."
Chu Kui already agreed with Luo Chen's reasoning.
And yet...
Noticing the struggle in his eyes, Luo Chen suddenly asked, "Brother Chu, what do you think of this cave dwelling?"
Chu Kui blinked.
From the moment he stepped inside, he had noticed how starkly different it was from an ordinary Tier 2 cave dwelling.
The Tier 2 cave dwellings on Tianlan Peak were man-made.
Only within the cramped confines of their cultivation chambers did the spiritual energy concentration match their designated rank.
Yet the moment he entered this Cave Dwelling Jia-3, he felt a spiritual energy density no weaker than that of an upper Tier 2 cave dwelling across the entire space.
One could easily imagine!
Inside the cultivation chamber where spiritual energy gathered even more densely, what heights could it possibly reach?
He asked, half in disbelief, "You're not thinking of lending this cave dwelling to me, are you?"
Luo Chen smiled and nodded.
"Although this cave dwelling does not belong to me, its master has temporarily granted it to me for cultivation. Before he returns, I have the authority to manage it."
"You have been stuck at the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment for years. With the aid of a pseudo-Tier 3 spiritual ground, your cultivation speed will surely advance by leaps and bounds, allowing you to reach perfection much sooner."
Chu Kui swallowed hard.
If that were true, who knew how many years of cultivation it would save him?
And the extra time could be used to thoroughly test that superior Core Formation secret technique.
Faced with such immense temptation, his heart stirred eagerly.
Swaying him required only a final push.
"I have already begun planning this battle," Luo Chen continued.
"The three of us will merely be the smallest fraction of the forces involved."
"When the time comes to assault the Yan Alliance, the main forces will certainly be great Golden Core sects like the Ice Fort and Azure Pill Valley, which will include plenty of Golden Core cultivators."
"Brother Chu, you dared step onto the Mount Thunder Accumulation battlefield. Don't tell me you lack the courage to fight a battle with the wind at our backs?"
If Luo Chen's earlier words had merely tempted Chu Kui, this final provocation cemented his resolve completely.
"Fine!"
"In any case, I am a member of the Luotian Association. With an order from the president, how could I refuse!"
Luo Chen chuckled.
If Chu Kui were truly that obedient, Luo Chen wouldn't have had to waste so much breath earlier.
Even so, the methods Chu Kui and Wang Yuan currently possessed were still somewhat lacking.
In the upcoming battle, there was a high likelihood they would encounter Golden Core Masters, or the Yan Alliance's surviving Foundation Establishment True Cultivators.
The former were formidable beyond measure, while the latter, though remnants, would by no means be few in number. Even enough ants could bite an elephant to death.
Therefore, before that day arrived, he had to bolster their arsenal.
"How is the refining of that damaged defensive magic treasure I gave you earlier coming along?"
Chu Kui replied helplessly, "It's only been a year or two. How far could I possibly refine it? I've only gained a rough grasp of it."
Luo Chen nodded.
This, too, was within his expectations.
"While cultivating in this cave dwelling, step up your refining efforts."
"Aside from that, if personal mastery of a magic treasure falls short, we compensate with external items."
"I currently have a large number of magic treasures on hand. Go ahead and pick ten!"
Chu Kui was flabbergasted.
"I'm already struggling to refine two magic treasures, and you want me to take ten more?"
"Indeed. If I weren't worried you couldn't handle them, I'd have given you several dozen."
Amid his bafflement, Luo Chen smiled and said, "I'm not asking you to fully refine them, merely to establish a rudimentary master bond. Then, in battle, you can simply detonate them to kill the enemy!"
Hearing this, Chu Kui's eyes went wide as saucers.
Never in his life had he seen anyone fight like this.
He had seen magic tools and magic treasures self-detonated before.
But he had never seen anyone use detonating magic treasures as a routine combat tactic.
Those were piles of shining spirit stones!
This was simply the most spendthrift fighting style in the entire cultivation world!
Luo Chen did not mind in the slightest. Ten low-grade magic treasures were only a few hundred thousand spirit stones.
His immense wealth was one reason for devising this tactic.
On the other hand, it stemmed from several conversations he had held with Golden Core Masters.
The magic treasures flooding the Jade Cauldron Domain these days were almost all low-grade, and of abysmal quality.
They frequently broke in battle.
In other words, they were not sturdy or stable enough.
If such items were used as single-use consumables, they would pack even greater might, each explosion being no less devastating than a strike from a Golden Core cultivator.
Ordinary Foundation Establishment True Cultivators naturally could not detonate a magic treasure so easily.
Chu Kui, however, was different: he possessed a Golden Core of unknown origin!
Using the power of that Golden Core, he could easily trigger the self-detonation of magic treasures.
Watching Luo Chen place one intact magic treasure after another into his hands, Chu Kui felt uneasy from head to toe.
"All my life, I've run myself ragged and risked life and limb just for a handful of spirit stones and resources."
"Now you have me squandering them like this—it honestly feels worse than killing me!"
Luo Chen smiled faintly.
"Never fought a battle with so much wealth at your disposal?"
Chu Kui panted heavily. "It's not that I've never fought one—I've never even dreamed of it in my entire life!"
Luo Chen shook his head, then turned to Wang Yuan.
"Brother Wang, I've prepared some things for you as well."
Wang Yuan frowned. "External items like these as well?"
"No!"
Under Wang Yuan's puzzled gaze, Luo Chen retrieved a large pile of jade bottles from his Thunder Accumulation Ring.
Pills?
Wang Yuan unstoppered a jade bottle, and an immensely rich wave of blood vitality rushed over him.
In that instant, his eyes lit up.
"This! This is..."
Amid his excitement, Luo Chen softly explained, "This pill is called the Blood Augmentation Pill. It significantly enhances a cultivator's blood vitality. I know you are currently in the late stage of comprehending the variations of blood vitality and grasping Transformed Force. Your ordinary cultivation consumes an enormous amount of blood vitality."
Nodding, Wang Yuan curiously fished out a Blood Augmentation Pill.
Mid-grade!
Without realizing it, Luo Chen had already grinded his proficiency in the Blood Augmentation Pill to the Perfect level.
His utilization of the raw ingredients had reached a new peak.
"Huh?" Wang Yuan's heart stirred. Pinching a Blood Augmentation Pill, he asked instinctively, "What materials did you use to concoct this? Why does it feel so much like the Blood Fiend Pill, yet far purer and more potent?"
What materials?
Cultivator blood essence, of course!
Furthermore, it was the blood essence of Foundation Establishment cultivators, far superior to that of Qi Refining cultivators!
If judged solely by its effect on increasing blood vitality, a single mid-grade Blood Augmentation Pill far surpassed a top-grade Blood Fiend Pill, and was likely comparable to a supreme-grade one.
Luo Chen marveled that even though Wang Yuan knew nothing of alchemy, his discernment remained exceptionally sharp.
Yet he could not tell him the ingredients.
The more people who knew the origin of that batch of blood essence, the more trouble it would bring.
Seeing that Luo Chen did not answer, Wang Yuan did not press the matter.
He merely remarked with emotion, "With the aid of this batch of pills, I will surely break through the bottleneck that has trapped me for so long. Transformed Force mastery is within reach, and perhaps I can even catch a glimpse of the Cinnabar Force realm!"
Though the human path of body refinement incorporated numerous cultivation methods such as comprehending blood vitality changes, in the early stages, it differed little from demonic body refinement and demanded an equally massive amount of external resources.
However, this batch of pills alone was not enough.
A talisman was handed to Wang Yuan.
"A Tier 3 Black Armor Talisman. It must be activated in advance. Its defensive power is outstanding, capable of withstanding attacks at the Golden Core level."
Wang Yuan looked at the talisman hesitantly.
"Aren't you going to use it?"
Luo Chen smiled with confidence. "I took a direct blow from Qin Tairan's natal magic treasure, so this item isn't of much use to me."
Since he put it that way, Wang Yuan naturally did not refuse.
Seeing both men accept the items he offered, Luo Chen knew he had done all he could on that front.
He took a deep breath.
"From here on out, cultivate quietly in Tianlan and await my word!"
"What about you?"
"Where are you going?"
Both asked in unison.
Luo Chen merely offered a faint smile.
"To bring down the Yan Alliance, this is far from enough."
"I have many places to visit, and many things to do."
"At most three months. Win or lose, there will be an outcome."
With those words, having completed all his preparations, Luo Chen strode out of the cave dwelling.
Riding the clear breeze and white clouds, he descended Tianlan Peak, left the immortal city, and sped off into the distant lands.
Chapter 421