Paltry Scoundrels, How Dare You Stir Up Trouble in Our Yan Alliance!

Tianxingzi's visit came unexpectedly. Yet Luo Chen showed no sign of surprise. It was not that he had specifically anticipated Tianxingzi's arrival, but rather that even if it had not been Tianxingzi, it would have been some other cultivator from the Falling Cloud Sect stationed here at the Zhenlong Black Market. What gave him such confidence was naturally the century thunder essence he had put up for auction. Such a rare material held an irresistible allure for Golden Core cultivators! If his understanding of its value had been shallow before, Fei Ming of Mount Ailao had made it unmistakably clear when he cast aside all distinctions of status and stooped to befriend Luo Chen merely to purchase an extra portion of century thunder essence. In truth, its appeal was not limited to Golden Core cultivators alone! Even a Nascent Soul True Person who came across such a treasure would surely refuse to let it slip by. And Tianxingzi had clearly come for this very century thunder essence. "Your sect wants it and intends to buy it in advance?" Tianxingzi was blunt, having no intention of beating around the bush. "Aside from facilitating trades and earning some spirit stones and intelligence, our Zhenlong Black Market exists mainly to gather suitable resources for the senior masters of our sect." "A century thunder essence is exceptional!" "Name your price!" Luo Chen, however, smiled and shook his head. "My apologies. I do intend to sell this portion of thunder essence, but it must be sold at auction." Tianxingzi frowned. At an auction, they were confident they could secure it. Yet doing so would not only cost far more, but it would also easily invite unforeseen complications. That was precisely why he had visited Luo Chen in private, hoping to intercept it before anyone else could. Yet Luo Chen insisted on auctioning the thunder essence. This... "Not only that," Luo Chen continued, "it must also be labeled as originating from the Yan Alliance! Furthermore, word must be spread that the Yan Alliance possesses even more century thunder essence." Tianxingzi looked bewildered. He studied Luo Chen with suspicion and asked out of the blue, "Are you looking to cause trouble for the Yan Alliance?" "Don't you want to?" Luo Chen countered. "Strike a snake without killing it, and you only suffer its wrath. After the havoc your sect wreaked upon them, surely you don't believe the Yan Alliance will just let it slide?" Tianxingzi snorted. "The Yan Alliance was never a traditional sect to begin with; it is merely an alliance forged by rogue cultivators, devoid of cohesion. What is butchering them to us? Besides, our Falling Cloud Sect is a Nascent Soul superior sect. Would they dare dream of vengeance?" "Heh..." Luo Chen chuckled softly. "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river. Who can guarantee that an extraordinary figure won't emerge from the Yan Alliance in the future—someone like your sect's True Person Han? Shouldn't such a threat be nipped in the bud?" In the cultivation world, legends and anecdotes of revenge and sect revival were never in short supply. Looking at recent history, both the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect and the Falling Cloud Sect had risen because they produced a cohort of talents or a peerless genius in a single generation. In an extreme sense, wasn't what Luo Chen was doing right now a backlash against the Yan Alliance for failing to exterminate the Luotian Association back then? Tianxingzi hesitated. He said with some reluctance, "Matters like this are not for me to worry about. Besides..." Pausing for a moment, he spoke candidly. "Besides, our sect's sudden strike has already left the other sects in the Jade Cauldron Domain as startled as birds at the twang of a bow. Even if we wished to take further action against the Yan Alliance, we cannot resort to force." "If you cannot, I can!" Luo Chen said, his tone suddenly rising with conviction. "Junior is humble, but I share a bitter grudge with the Yan Alliance. Why not let me be your blade to cut the weeds and pull up the roots of the Yan Alliance?" "You?" Tianxingzi eyed Luo Chen suspiciously. Luo Chen gave a solemn nod. "Yes, me! The fact that I am willing to part with something as fine as century thunder essence—which can enhance a natal magic treasure—proves my determination for revenge." Tianxingzi looked at him pensively. He knew a great deal about the feud between Luo Chen and the Yan Alliance. It was truly a grudge where neither could rest while the other lived! Luo Chen was merely a Foundation Establishment cultivator, yet the Yan Alliance had dispatched two Golden Core masters in succession in attempts to kill him. In the vast Jade Cauldron Domain, Luo Chen was likely the only one to receive such treatment. Yet, through it all, they had failed to kill him. Naturally, Luo Chen harbored deep hatred. And for the Yan Alliance, Luo Chen's continued survival was a humiliation beyond measure. For Luo Chen to use century thunder essence as bait to entice foreign Golden Core cultivators to target the Yan Alliance made complete sense. Suddenly, Tianxingzi chuckled to himself. "You rascal, you certainly have a way with words. You nearly talked me in circles." "I came here solely for the century thunder essence, not to conspire with you on some grand plan to wipe out the Yan Alliance." Beneath his smile, however, a chill ran through his heart. This boy Luo Chen was growing ever more cunning and shrewd. Even he had nearly fallen into the trap. Perhaps his very visit today had been anticipated by the young man. After all, it was Tianxingzi who had orchestrated giving Luo Chen the Zhenlong Black Market's embroidered ball token back in Dahe Mill. Using that embroidered ball as bait now was clearly a deliberate ploy to draw in disciples of the Falling Cloud Sect. While Tianxingzi was inwardly astounded, a camellia flower flecked with silver appeared in Luo Chen's hand. "This is...?" Tianxingzi gasped in surprise. "You actually have another bloom of century thunder essence?" Luo Chen smiled complacently. "I never said I only had one! After all, I was the first to enter the Deity Transformation ruins. While I didn't scavenge much else, I did manage to harvest several blooms of thunder essence." Just as he said, he truly possessed quite a substantial quantity of thunder essence. There were only eighteen blooms of millennium thunder essence. However, century thunder essence and ordinary thunder essence were indeed plentiful in his keeping. Of course, one should never flaunt wealth. Luo Chen still did what he could to patch things over: "I don't have many left on hand. I gave several to the Ice Fort and Mount Ailao. These two were originally prepared for my natal magic treasure after I form my core. But to deal with the Yan Alliance, I can no longer afford to be stingy." Tianxingzi nodded. "Are you planning to sell this one directly?" "Yes!" "At what price?" "Barter—item for item!" "Reasonable enough. Speak, what do you want? Let me see if I can gather it on my end." Luo Chen did not hesitate in the slightest; he had long prepared for this. "I want the personal insights and reflections of a cultivator who used the Locking the Beaded Curtain secret technique to form their core!" "I want detailed intelligence on your sect's recent assault on the Yan Alliance!" "And finally, when the Zhenlong Black Market auctions that thunder essence, I want you to spread a piece of news: in one month, a formidable enemy will arrive at Incense Valley seeking vengeance!" Tianxingzi's brows knit together. "You're asking for too much!" Luo Chen shook his head and said calmly, "Not at all. A century thunder essence is well worth this price. If you don't believe me, you can return and ask the True Persons of your sect." Tianxingzi fell silent. Only after a long while did he cast a reluctant glance at that bloom of thunder essence. "Await my word!" "I shall look forward to good news!" With a flick of Luo Chen's wrist, the pale silver thunder essence flower vanished into his storage bag. ... Inside an inn in the immortal city. Having seen Tianxingzi off, Luo Chen welcomed three distinguished guests. Qiu Daochun and Che Xiang. Both were Golden Core masters in the early Golden Core realm, holding the status of grand elders in cultivation clans and vassals of Azure Pill Valley! Luo Chen had heard of both of them. Che Xiang, in particular, had only formed his core recently, seemingly doing so after Luo Chen participated in the Azure Pill Dao Seed competition. Tao Wan, as the Dao Child at the time, had even attended Che Xiang's Core Formation Grand Ceremony in person. Yet the third visitor came as quite a surprise to Luo Chen. Danyangzi! Had it been Tao Wan, Luo Chen would not have been surprised. After all, Azure Pill Valley had entrusted Tao Wan with overseeing the major campaign against the Yan Alliance. Yet the one who came was actually the Eldest Senior Brother of this generation, Danyangzi, which caught him off guard. Facing Luo Chen's curiosity, Danyangzi offered no explanation, asking directly about his progress instead. Luo Chen said with confidence, "Everything is proceeding according to plan. I have already contacted the Ice Fort and the Falling Cloud Sect, and I have rallied a group of formidable rogue cultivators. All that remains is to storm Incense Valley and annihilate the Yan Alliance when the time comes!" Danyangzi asked in confusion, "Why haven't you contacted Mount Ailao? They are the Yan Alliance's true sworn enemies." "If even you say so, why would I need to take the initiative to contact Mount Ailao?" Luo Chen countered. Danyangzi came to a sudden realization. Seeing Luo Chen's poised, assured demeanor, he said in a deep voice, "Very well. When the time comes, we will await your rallying cry." With that, he departed with the two Golden Core masters. Watching their retreating figures, Luo Chen blinked. This Danyangzi's cultivation speed was remarkably swift. Barely ten years had passed since the Dao Seed competition, yet he was already at the Foundation Establishment Great Perfection. Although he had reached the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment long ago, his cultivation speed seemed even faster than that of Azure Pill Dao Child Tao Wan. Whether it was exceptional innate talent or special favoritism from Azure Pill Valley remained unknown. "Still, this is a good thing for me. One more expert gives us a better chance of winning." "Next, all I have to do is await word from the Ice Fort, the Zhenlong auction, and the Falling Cloud Sect's reply." "May everything go smoothly!" ... On the streets of Tianhuo Immortal City. Even though the Yan Alliance had suffered such a catastrophic disaster, the immortal city closest to it had not fallen into decline; instead, it had grown increasingly lively. Unfamiliar faces filled the streets, revealing that the crowd flooding into Tianhuo Immortal City were not locals. The cunning, sinister looks in their eyes made it all too clear to the residents that these newcomers came with ill intent. Danyangzi and the two vassal Golden Core masters of Azure Pill Valley walked along the street. A sound-isolating barrier enveloped the three of them. As long as no higher-stage cultivator deliberately pried, they had no need to fear anyone eavesdropping on a soundproofing spell jointly cast by two Golden Core masters. Che Xiang observed the surrounding scenery and customs with keen interest. This was his first time traveling abroad since forming his core. However, this was an assignment he could not refuse. He had previously used consolidating his cultivation realm as an excuse to avoid deploying to the Mount Thunder Accumulation battlefield on Azure Pill Valley's behalf. This time, he had to contribute no matter what. Beside his ear, Qiu Daochun and Danyangzi were conversing. "Actually, you didn't need to come. I would have avenged Xiaoming myself." "Xiaoming was my younger brother. He died at the hands of the Yan Alliance's Dao Child; how could I leave his vengeance to someone else?" "Alas..." Qiu Daochun sighed, looking at this distant junior of his clan. He had possessed a brilliant future, yet on account of his brother, he had even been stripped of his position as Dao Child. "Speaking of which, what offense did you commit that incurred Azure Pill Valley's thunderous wrath and cost you your Dao Child title? Rumor has it that you passed the cultivation method reserved exclusively for the Dao Child to Xiaoming?" Faced with this question, Danyangzi evaded answering. Qiu Daochun could not press further. Seeing the atmosphere turn cold, Che Xiang chimed in to change the subject. "I spent many years in secluded cultivation, so I never imagined the Jade Cauldron Domain would brim with so much talent. Just strolling through Tianhuo Immortal City, I have seen numerous juniors in the late Foundation Establishment stage. Tsk-tsk, wasn't it said that a civil war wiped out decades of talent in the Jade Cauldron Domain?" Qiu Daochun dismissed the notion. "The great waves wash away the sand; those who died were merely mediocre cultivators who amounted to nothing. Besides, many of those mingling in Tianhuo Immortal City right now hail from outer domains, not our Jade Cauldron Domain." "Is that so?" Che Xiang said, enlightened. Yet he soon shook his head. "Just as you said, the great waves wash away the sand, leaving behind only the geniuses. In my view, that Luo Chen is truly extraordinary. Rallying and connecting various factions all on his own—what remarkable audacity." Qiu Daochun snorted. "Luo Chen has accomplished so many grand feats in succession; it is only natural that he possesses such audacity and confidence." "Indeed!" Che Xiang remarked with emotion. "He is so young, and his prospects are so bright. If he successfully forms his core in the future, he might even have a shot at catching a glimpse of the Nascent Soul realm." "I, for one, see it differently." Che Xiang looked at Qiu Daochun in puzzlement. Danyangzi was equally bewildered. Though his relationship with Luo Chen was ordinary, he harbored some admiration for this peer who had edged him out in alchemy. Although he believed that without arbitrary restrictions, his alchemy was no inferior to Luo Chen's, he had nonetheless lost back then. In his view, with the backing of the Ice Fort, Luo Chen's chances of forming his core in the future were quite high. Facing their confusion, Qiu Daochun remarked indifferently, "Success comes from confidence, and ruin comes from confidence. Accomplishing so many great deeds disproportionate to his realm at such a young age has already made him rather conceited." Che Xiang disagreed. "Conceited? I don't feel that way. If I had made a name for myself across the Jade Cauldron Domain and slain a Golden Core master in battle at his age, I fear I would be far more arrogant than he is. From what little I observed just now, he still has a sense of propriety." Danyangzi also spoke up in agreement: "In the sect, I often hear of his deeds. The sect elders praise him highly; he does not seem to be as you describe, Uncle Qiu." Facing their dissenting views, Qiu Daochun had no heart to argue. In the end, he merely remarked, "I feel he is in great danger right now. It is better not to get too deeply involved with him." ... Ten days later! Luo Chen welcomed piece after piece of good news that he had been anticipating. Tianxingzi, representing the Falling Cloud Sect, reached an agreement with Luo Chen. In exchange for personal Core Formation insights regarding the superior Core Formation secret technique Locking the Beaded Curtain, along with intelligence, they traded for a bloom of century thunder essence from him. At the same time, Fairy Jueqing arrived in Tianhuo Immortal City in person, agreeing to strike on his behalf. She even took up lodging nearby to provide protection. Furthermore, Luo Chen received intelligence regarding Mount Ailao from Xing Zonghan. They had indeed begun targeting the Yan Alliance from every angle. In Blackwater Marsh, in particular, the Yan Alliance had carried out a complete withdrawal, ceding resource-rich territory abundant in rare materials like black demon silt and Origin-Tracing Clay to Mount Ailao without a fight. "I knew it. When a whale falls, all life thrives. Now that the Yan Alliance's decline is evident, the other major sects could never sit idly by." Luo Chen was in high spirits. Holding a report delivered by the Falling Cloud Sect, he cast a distant gaze toward the depths of Tianhuo Immortal City. "The black market auction is taking place tonight, isn't it?" "This auction will be the final straw that breaks the Yan Alliance." "Qin Tairan, how you dealt with me back then, I will repay you in kind before long." "I wonder what is going through your mind right now—can you still remain calm and composed?" Just as he murmured these words, fire and light suddenly erupted before his eyes. Boom! Deep within the immortal city, a surge of boundless magic power detonated with a roar. "Paltry scoundrels, how dare you stir up trouble in our Yan Alliance!"