That night.
Qin Tairan, Disciplinary Elder of the Yan Alliance, openly tore up the immortal city's rules and struck in person within the city, destroying a black market.
Some said it was a property of the Falling Cloud Sect, and this was the Yan Alliance's counterattack.
Some said Qin Tairan had grown covetous of an item being auctioned at the black market, shamelessly stepping in to snatch it by force.
Others rumored that a flood of rumors detrimental to the Yan Alliance had spread through the black market, which drove Elder Qin to strike with lethal fury.
In any case, that very night, several Golden Core masters from outside the domain flew out of the black market simultaneously, glaring at Qin Tairan in fury.
Had it not been for his home-ground advantage, an all-out battle would surely have erupted on the spot.
Luo Chen, who had not attended the auction in person, only received accurate word the following morning from a disheveled-looking Tianxingzi.
"The rumors you wanted us to spread have all been put out."
"Here. The spirit stones from auctioning the century thunder core—twenty-three high-grade spirit stones in total."
Pinching the storage bag Tianxingzi handed over, Luo Chen looked at him with a half-smile, staring until the other man grew distinctly uncomfortable.
Thunder core was a Tier 4 material.
Ordinary magic treasures would never incorporate such an ingredient; only when forging a natal magic treasure would a small portion of a ten-year thunder core be added.
Anything involving the forging of a natal magic treasure bore a price far beyond that of an ordinary low-grade magic treasure.
As one of the primary materials, thunder core typically fetched a starting price of one hundred thousand spirit stones.
And a century thunder core was considered the finest of Tier 4 ores!
Twenty-three high-grade spirit stones amounted to two hundred and thirty thousand low-grade spirit stones.
This price was neither particularly low, nor could it be considered high.
Met with Luo Chen's teasing gaze, Tianxingzi said awkwardly, "As you requested, besides spreading the rumors, the settlement was made in high-grade spirit stones. As for the identity of the buyer who won the thunder core, we aren't in a position to disclose that."
Luo Chen smiled and did not press the matter.
As long as his primary goal was achieved, a minor loss was of little consequence.
Whether the Zhenlong Black Market had pocketed that century thunder core for themselves had nothing to do with him.
He clicked his tongue twice. "It seems Qin Tairan's sudden strike last night truly caught you off guard!"
Tianxingzi said nonchalantly, "Nothing more than a dog leaping over a wall in desperation—powerless, impotent rage."
Luo Chen nodded in agreement.
Indeed!
The present Yan Alliance dared not retaliate against the Falling Cloud Sect, nor did it dare bare its fangs at the Sword Sect. It could only cower at home and lick its wounds.
With a swarm of flies buzzing nearby, ready to swoop in and suck its blood at any moment, how could the Yan Alliance not feel vexed and enraged?
Still, striking within the immortal city they had built themselves, breaking their own rules, and destroying the commercial atmosphere accumulated over so many years was truly something no one had expected.
"It seems the people of the Yan Alliance are in quite a panic now," Luo Chen murmured.
Beside him, Tianxingzi looked at him with curiosity.
"When do you plan to make your move?"
"Hasn't the time already been decided?"
Tianxingzi started. He recalled the timeframe Luo Chen had mentioned before.
In one month!
He could not help but ask, "You publicly released the exact time beforehand. Aren't you worried the Yan Alliance will make preparations in advance?"
"Preparations in advance?" Luo Chen shook his head and sneered. "What kind of preparations can they make? Call upon their friends? In the Jade Cauldron Domain, the Four-Sect Alliance led by the Falling Cloud Sect is their enemy, and Hundred Blossoms Palace remains neutral. In other words, the only one they can turn to for help is the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect."
"And as for the Sword Sect, whether I leak word or not, if they intend to aid the Yan Alliance, they will do so regardless. If that happens, forget about the meager forces I've assembled—even if the other sects arrived together, they might not succeed in taking down the Yan Alliance."
"And if the Sword Sect refuses to help, this one month will only plunge the Yan Alliance cultivators into deeper despair!"
"I want nothing more than to see them despair!"
By the end, a ruthless smile had unknowingly crept onto Luo Chen's lips.
Watching this, Tianxingzi could not help feeling a chill in his heart.
Luo Chen's mind was growing deeper, and his methods more ruthless and meticulous.
He had weighed every angle, inside and out.
Even the enemy's psychological state was part of his calculations.
Was this truly a Foundation Establishment cultivator?
Even the Dao Child of a sect or a Golden Core of a major power would be hard-pressed to consider things so thoroughly!
Shaken, Tianxingzi made sure to remind him, "If you drag it out too long, the Yan Alliance will have enough time to recall all their disciples scattered across the domain. When that happens, it might prove even more troublesome."
Yet Luo Chen paid it no heed.
"So what?"
"That only gives us the opportunity to wipe them all out in one fell swoop!"
Tianxingzi parted his lips, unable to refute him.
Looking at the supremely confident Luo Chen, he said at last:
"Although the Falling Cloud Sect cannot intervene openly, we can contact several Golden Core cultivators on your behalf. Don't count on them, however. Whether they are willing to step in when the time comes will depend on how the battle swings on the front line."
Luo Chen raised an eyebrow.
An unexpected boon!
As for whether such fence-sitters were useful?
Naturally, the more, the better!
***
Around the same time Luo Chen and Tianxingzi were negotiating.
Incense Valley, Yan Alliance.
The grand spectacle and celestial splendor of a great sect in former days were nowhere to be found.
All that remained were shattered walls and utter desolation.
Swaths of buildings lay collapsed, and crater after massive crater pockmarked Incense Valley.
The low-ranking cultivators walking through wore panic on their faces; the slightest disturbance brought anxious inquiries.
A streak of escaping light flew in from outside.
It paused in midair and slowed, seemingly revealing its silhouette on purpose for the low-ranking disciples to see.
After a moment, it plunged directly underground into Incense Valley.
Descending below, the figure passed empty stone pillars and arrived before a stone platform.
Atop it sat a Daoist in meditation.
Wisps of azure flame rose around him, expanding and contracting rhythmically.
As they swelled and shrank, his feeble aura gradually recovered.
Hearing the noise, he slowly opened his eyes.
"Senior Brother Qin!"
Qin Tairan grunted an acknowledgment and looked at him with concern. "Junior Brother Xuyang, how are your injuries?"
Master Xuyang sighed. Bringing his fingers together like a sword wrapped in azure fire, he thrust them into his own chest before Qin Tairan's eyes.
Then, with a savage grimace, he forcibly yanked a silver thread from inside his body.
Whoosh!
Having pulled it out, he let out a long breath.
"With the help of this Wither-Bloom Fire, my wounds are steadily mending."
"The Falling Cloud Sect's puppetry truly exceeded our expectations. Never did I imagine they possessed such bizarre, sinister arts."
As he spoke, the silver thread he had pulled from his body gradually melted under the scorching azure flames.
Watching this, Qin Tairan's expression shifted slightly.
The path of puppetry was something the Yan Alliance understood reasonably well.
It combined formations, weapon-forging, and souls into a unified art.
As a great weapon-forging sect, the Yan Alliance had dabbled in puppet-crafting in the past.
But their understanding was limited to melee combat, ranged attacks, and releasing spiritual qi shockwaves.
No one had anticipated that the Falling Cloud Sect's puppetry had evolved to a level beyond their imagination.
"This method of fusing weapons into puppets is definitely not something the Falling Cloud Sect could achieve on their own!"
Master Xuyang sighed. "Indeed. I discovered distinct weapon-forging techniques from Tianfan City on it. These silver threads are made of a special material capable of fusing with a Golden Core cultivator's divine sense. Once they cling to you, they instantly pose a massive threat to the physical body and divine soul of a Golden Core master."
"Even if one survives by some stroke of luck, they linger afterward like maggots on a bone, extremely difficult to purge."
Qin Tairan's heart trembled.
A weapon capable of fusing with a Golden Core cultivator's divine sense!
Being struck by it was no different from taking a direct blow from divine sense.
Worse yet, such attacks could be triggered repeatedly.
No wonder the Yan Alliance, even after unleashing its full foundation and fielding a dozen Golden Core cultivators, had still fallen in defeat under the Falling Cloud Sect's siege.
No wonder the Falling Cloud Sect dared to challenge the Sword Sect.
With such lethal weapons in hand, even if the sword cultivators of the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect were renowned for their formidable combat prowess, the puppeteers of the Falling Cloud Sect had nothing to fear.
"Give me a bit more time. Once I purge all these bone-clinging threads, I can recover eighty percent of my strength. When that time comes, the burden on your shoulders will lighten, Senior Brother," Master Xuyang said with a strained smile.
Qin Tairan shook his head. "I am managing fine. Nephew Xiao has already begun taking over the duties of Sect Master to reorganize the Yan Alliance."
The "Nephew Xiao" he referred to was the Yan Alliance's Dao Child of this generation, Xiao Lian.
He was at Foundation Establishment perfection.
He should have been preparing to make his breakthrough to the Golden Core realm, but with the calamity that had struck the Yan Alliance, he had no choice but to end his seclusion early and take up the mantle of Sect Master.
Hearing this, Master Xuyang nodded.
The situation was perilous, but at least the Yan Alliance had a successor; things had not reached the absolute worst yet.
Looking at the hurried, slightly indignant Qin Tairan, he asked curiously, "Did you leave the valley, Senior Brother?"
Qin Tairan let out a cold snort. "The Falling Cloud Sect's desire to destroy our Yan Alliance never dies. They sent people to spread rumors detrimental to our sect throughout the black market. I merely made a move to deter those scoundrels. Otherwise, outsiders would truly believe our Yan Alliance is an easy target."
Master Xuyang parted his lips, at a loss for words.
An easy target?
Enemies had marched right up to their doorstep, slaughtered their people, and swaggered off, leaving the Yan Alliance powerless to do anything beyond uttering a few denouncements.
In the eyes of everyone outside, the Yan Alliance was already a soft persimmon ripe for the picking!
Qin Tairan seemed to guess his thoughts and frowned.
"Don't overthink it, Junior Brother. The Falling Cloud Sect will definitely never dare to strike again!"
"Is that a promise from the Sword Sect?" Master Xuyang asked.
Qin Tairan nodded. "Yes. I personally asked Yaoguang of the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect, and he promised me as much."
Yet even with this good news, Master Xuyang's face remained etched with worry.
A promise from an overlord sect was just a promise.
It wasn't a Great Dao Oath; how could it be trusted?
Qin Tairan stood with his hands behind his back, slowly pacing through the desolate subterranean stone forest.
"Our Yan Alliance has suffered a catastrophe and appears teetering on the brink, but why can this not be an opportunity for rebirth through fire?"
"In the past, we sustained far too many Golden Core cultivators—decrepit, useless old fools who contributed nothing to the sect!"
"Now that they are dead, their resources are freed up."
"Junior Brother, in those days, wasn't the Yan Alliance founded by the Ancestor alone? If we work together with one heart, why can't we rebuild our past glory?"
"In fact, seizing this chance, we might even have a shot at breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm!"
As Qin Tairan spoke with great fervor, an uncharacteristically fanatical gleam appeared on his face.
It seemed he felt not the slightest grief for what the Yan Alliance had just endured.
Master Xuyang watched in silence.
He knew this senior brother of his had always harbored an intense thirst for power.
When kept in check by the Alliance Master in the past, it was manageable.
But now that so many of the Yan Alliance had died, an instantaneous power vacuum had formed.
Qin Tairan, at the mid Golden Core stage, had suddenly become the supreme authority over thousands, so it was only natural he had grown somewhat conceited.
He shook his head, lacking the heart to continue this topic.
"Senior Brother, you said the Falling Cloud Sect was spreading unfavorable rumors about our sect in the black market. What rumors were they?"
Qin Tairan paused in his tracks and frowned. "Something about a formidable enemy coming to our sect for revenge in a month's time. Hmph, sheer nonsense!"
Revenge!
Hearing this, Master Xuyang's complexion changed abruptly.
"Senior Brother! How can you take such a major matter so lightly?"
Qin Tairan scowled. "Our Yan Alliance has enemies, but where would a 'formidable enemy' come from?"
"What of Mount Ailao?" Master Xuyang countered.
Qin Tairan snorted. "We have already yielded Black Water Swamp with both hands. With the Sword Sect's deterrent on top of that, how would they dare make a move?"
Master Xuyang said anxiously, "We cannot afford to take chances!"
"Even if that chance comes, so what?" Qin Tairan said confidently. "Mount Ailao has only four Golden Core cultivators in total, and the strongest among them is merely at the sixth layer of Golden Core. Even if their entire sect came attacking, the remaining means of our Yan Alliance are enough to deal with them. Besides, would they dare?"
Even a cornered dog would leap over a wall!
Though the Yan Alliance had weakened to the extreme, it still held the title of a great sect.
No one knew how many hidden cards they had held back during the Falling Cloud Sect's surprise raid.
Moreover, Mount Ailao was not particularly strong itself; they had previously boasted five Golden Cores, but during the battle at Black Water Swamp, one of them perished together with a Yan Alliance Golden Core. It was one thing for them to clutch their remaining remnants, but launching an all-out assault was out of the question.
Yet Master Xuyang shook his head. "Have you forgotten that our mountain-protecting grand formation has been destroyed? If battle truly breaks out, Incense Valley, our foundational grounds, will be consigned to eternal damnation."
Qin Tairan hesitated.
Suddenly gaining control of the sect had swollen his ego beyond measure, but he was not completely ignorant of reason.
Without a mountain-protecting grand formation, once an enemy breached Incense Valley, win or lose, it would strike another devastating blow against the Yan Alliance.
In that case, everything he envisioned would turn into flowers in a mirror, the moon in the water—a castle in the air.
Master Xuyang sighed. "It is better to take the prudent course."
"Then what do you think we should do?"
"First, have Nephew Xiao issue orders as Sect Master to recall the disciples scattered across our various properties. In this hour of crisis, it is time for everyone to pull together and weather the storm. Perhaps we might even use this opportunity to rebuild the younger generation's faith in the sect."
"Second, have Junior Brother Wang step forward to reorganize Incense Valley's formations. Even if we cannot rebuild the mountain-protecting grand formation, we must at least establish a temporary Tier 3 defensive formation."
"Lastly, you will likely need to make another trip to the Sword Sect."
Qin Tairan said displeasedly, "The first two are no problem, but visiting the Sword Sect? I see no need for that!"
As he spoke, his expression darkened. One could easily imagine how unpleasant his prior encounter with Master Yaoguang of the Sword Sect had been.
"Senior Brother!" Master Xuyang barked in a low voice.
Helpless, Qin Tairan waved a hand. "Fine, fine! I will make another trip to Mount Yuhuang. Do not worry yourself too much; just focus on healing your wounds."
With that, he turned to leave the subterranean cavern.
But when his steps brought him to the fire pit encircled by stone pillars at the center, he stopped.
"This Wither-Bloom Fire has been nurtured with the Incense Spirit-Seizing Formation for so many years, yet instead of advancing to Tier 4, it has drained so much lifespan from our Yan Alliance's Golden Core cultivators. What use is keeping it? Better to destroy it!"
As he spoke, magic power pooled in his palm, and he prepared to strike.
"Senior Brother, you mustn't!"
Qin Tairan turned his head.
Master Xuyang shook his head solemnly. "Left behind by the Ancestor, this item has immense utility. How can it be so casually destroyed?"
Qin Tairan curled his lip. Recalling that over time the Wither-Bloom Fire occasionally birthed Wither-Bloom True Evil, he abandoned the thought.
After he left, Master Xuyang gazed past the stone pillars, his eyes landing on that deep, emerald-green flame.
"Tier 4?"
"Senior Brother, after all these years, your eyesight remains as poor as ever."
He let out a faint breath. The breath drifted into the pit and melted into the green flames, faintly connecting with him.
***
Time slipped slowly by.
For some, each passing day was but the snap of a finger.
But for the cultivators of the Yan Alliance, time dragged so slowly it was nearly suffocating.
At some point, more and more rogue cultivators began lurking and spying outside Incense Valley.
In Tianhuo Immortal City, unfamiliar faces multiplied by the day.
What was more, these unfamiliar cultivators did everything they could to pry into the Yan Alliance's recent circumstances.
On top of that, Yan Alliance disciples often detected the divine sense of Golden Core masters sweeping brazenly across Incense Valley.
That distinct spiritual pressure unique to high-tier cultivators weighed heavily on their hearts.
Qin Tairan had already returned from the Sword Sect.
Another meeting that ended in discord!
Right to Yaoguang's face, he had bluntly stated that refusing to support the Yan Alliance would chill the hearts of their allies.
Yet Master Yaoguang had merely smiled, entirely unmoved.
In the end, he gave only the vague reply that the Sword Sect had its own considerations.
What "own considerations"!
What "inconvenient to intervene in great sect disputes"!
All excuses!
Choked with pent-up rage, Qin Tairan was furious!
Whenever a divine sense swept across Incense Valley, he would storm out and roar in fury.
Such loss of composure was truly astonishing!
Yet when Fei Ming, a Golden Core elder of Mount Ailao, personally set foot within a hundred li of Incense Valley, everyone finally understood what Qin Tairan feared.
The formidable enemy of the Yan Alliance had arrived!
***
"Something is wrong! Something is wrong!"
Inside the subterranean cavern of Incense Valley, the three Golden Core cultivators and current Sect Master Xiao Lian gathered together.
Each wore a grim countenance.
Over the past several days, the cultivators circling near the Yan Alliance had grown increasingly numerous.
The divine senses sweeping across among them caused even greater terror.
In the beginning, Qin Tairan and the others had paid it little mind.
But gradually, they realized those divine senses did not belong to a single person.
Upon closer observation, they identified no fewer than ten distinct divine senses!
What did that mean?
Ten Golden Core cultivators!
And what so many Golden Core cultivators had done during their last visit to Incense Valley was still fresh in everyone's memory.
Were they about to retrace their previous disastrous steps?
Among the four, Xiao Lian was merely at Foundation Establishment perfection and had the lowest seniority; thus, despite being the Sect Master, he acted with utmost deference before the other three.
In panic, he asked, "Elder Qin, Martial Uncle Xuyang, Elder Wang, what should we do now? So many people have gathered nearby—they aren't actually going to attack our doorstep, are they?"
Seeing his flustered state, Elder Wang barked, "What are you panicking for!"
Qin Tairan glared at Xiao Lian. "Soldiers to bar generals, earth to dam water! Those people aren't united; most are just fence-sitters bending with the wind. What is there to fear?"
Master Xuyang sighed. "Senior Brother, will the Sword Sect truly not intervene?"
Not mentioning the Sword Sect was one thing, but the moment the name came up, Qin Tairan grew foul-tempered.
"They claimed that disputes between great sects are constrained by the New Domain's Five-Hundred-Year Covenant, making it inappropriate for an overlord sect to participate. To hell with their covenant! When dealing with Azure Pill Valley before, I didn't see them caring one bit about any covenant."
Master Xuyang frowned slightly. "That time could still be explained by the Falling Cloud Sect's involvement; this time it is indeed difficult for them to step in. The only thing puzzling me is: without our Yan Alliance, who will forge sword pills for them?"
Beside them, Elder Wang hesitated before offering, "Weren't there rumors before that the Sword Sect has been trying to complete their original sword pill forging method over the years? Could they have succeeded?"
Had they succeeded?
Perhaps they had!
That alone could explain why the Sword Sect had cast the Yan Alliance aside.
First, the Yan Alliance was of no further use to them; second, no one wished to have their lifeblood held in the hands of another sect.
Yet if that was so, the Yan Alliance had become an abandoned pawn!
Looking at their glum faces, Elder Wang tentatively suggested, "What if we part ways?"
The moment the words left his mouth, Qin Tairan flew into a rage.
"Never speak of this again!"
Elder Wang said helplessly, "The Yan Alliance was never a legitimate inheritance sect to begin with. If we dissolve the Yan Alliance and go our separate ways, no one will covet us anymore. When each of us has grown strong on our own, gathering together again to restart the Yan Alliance shouldn't be an issue, right?"
"You!" Qin Tairan was so enraged his beard bristled and his eyes bulged, the hand he pointed at Elder Wang visibly trembling.
"Dissolution isn't necessary, is it?" Xiao Lian said. Though terrified of what the future held, he was loath to give up the Sect Master position he had obtained with such difficulty.
Master Xuyang raised a hand, pressing down Qin Tairan's fury.
Taking a deep breath, he said, "The formidable enemy has yet to come knocking. How can we throw our own camp into chaos? Besides, the only open enemy is Fei Ming's faction from Mount Ailao."
"It might look like just one faction, but ghost only knows if he's colluded with other Golden Core cultivators," Elder Wang muttered.
Master Xuyang shook his head and said earnestly, "All the disciples who could be recalled over these past days have returned. Though our vassal factions waver, they can still be ordered about. If we invite one or two of our Golden Core friends as well, this calamity may not be impossible to survive. I stand by what I said: if we unite with one heart to overcome this tribulation, our Yan Alliance can undergo nirvana and be reborn."
Hearing this, Qin Tairan could not help praising, "Junior Brother is still the one who sees clearly!"
Elder Wang's expression softened slightly as well.
Indeed, if they could fulfill the conditions Xuyang outlined, even if Mount Ailao colluded with a few Golden Cores, they might not be a match for the Yan Alliance.
"In that case, let us make one more effort for the Yan Alliance!"
"Senior Brother Qin, we will rely on you to keep the vassal factions in line."
"Elder Wang, contacting Golden Core allies falls to you."
"Nephew Xiao, you will command the sect's disciples."
The three nodded in turn.
Before leaving, however, Xiao Lian looked puzzledly at Master Xuyang. "Martial Uncle, what about you?"
Master Xuyang smiled faintly. "My injuries will soon be mostly healed. When a great battle arrives, I will strike!"
Hearing this, Xiao Lian felt reassured.
The situation did not seem to have reached rock bottom after all!
Yet!
When the rumored month had passed, looking at the dense swarm of countless enemies outside Incense Valley, Xiao Lian's heart plummeted straight to rock bottom in an instant.
"How could that old dog Fei Ming gather so many allies? Even if Mount Ailao mobilized in full force, they couldn't possibly achieve this scale!"
Just as despair welled up in him, a furious roar exploded in his ear:
"What are you standing there for? Activate the Blazing Fire Formation!"
Xiao Lian shuddered, instantly relaying the order.
The next moment, twenty stone pillars from the subterranean cavern of Incense Valley broke through the surface, rising straight into the air.
Burst after burst of flame erupted like fireworks.
Amidst the fireworks filling the sky, a crimson barrier instantly enveloped the entirety of Incense Valley.
Rolling streams of fire churned across it, laden with dense smoke, carrying a terrifying aura that seemed capable of melting everything in its path.
Qin Tairan rose into the air, glaring furiously in all directions before his gaze locked onto a single person.
Confronted with this sight, many onlookers subconsciously followed Qin Tairan's gaze, looking toward an elder leading dozens of Foundation Establishment True Cultivators.
The Golden Core elder of Mount Ailao—Fei Ming!
"Fei Ming, you defeated dog, you still dare come to provoke me? Are you tired of living?"
Faced with this question laden with killing intent, Fei Ming snapped back without yielding an inch:
"Old scoundrel, today is the day you die!"
Yet in his heart, he cursed secretly, *I'm not the one leading this! Why is everyone staring at me?!*
Taking a deep breath, he roared at the top of his voice, "Danchenzi! You called everyone here, so why hide your head and shrink your neck? Show yourself!"
Countless cultivators stared in surprise.
The Yan Alliance's great enemy wasn't Mount Ailao?
Danchenzi?
That Daoist title sounded exceedingly familiar!
Wasn't he supposed to be some formidable alchemist?!
How had he become the Yan Alliance's great enemy and rallied multiple factions to gather here?
Just as they were pondering in bewilderment, a resonant, full-throated voice drifted over leisurely.
"It is not that this junior was hiding away, but rather that you, Senior, were so impatient you jumped ahead!"
"Luo has arrived!"
At first, the voice sounded faint and leisurely, as though originating from a vast distance. But as it drew near, it resonated like rolling thunder, surging like a tide.
It did not sound like spiritual qi amplifying the voice, but rather like some terrifying demon beast born of the primeval mountains roaring purely with the strength of its physical body.
Wherever it swept, thunder cracked, accompanied by an endless, surging tide of killing intent!
Chapter 426