"I can sense it—you are strong!"
"Fight a thrilling, all-out battle with Wang!"
Wang Yuan's muffled voice rumbled like thunder beneath a clear sky.
Faced with such provocative words, Yu Jiaolong's willowy brows snapped upright!
"Hmph?"
With a low grunt, a majestic spiritual pressure swept out from her petite frame, crashing down upon the giant before her.
Boom!
At that moment, Wang Yuan's expression shifted slightly. He felt as though a massive mountain had been dropped atop his head.
The immense pressure forced him toward his knees.
Yet how could his unyielding battle intent ever allow him to kneel before an enemy?
Clenching his teeth, he relentlessly drove the qi and blood within him, enduring the crushing force with sheer grit.
Crack, crack, crack...
The sound of groaning bones burst from his body in rapid succession, like joints of bamboo popping under heat.
His waist and back, which had begun to buckle, straightened inch by inch under his stubborn will.
He even showed signs of mounting a counterattack!
A flicker of surprise surfaced on Yu Jiaolong's face.
A Golden Core cultivator's spiritual pressure stemmed from the absolute superiority of magic power over a Foundation Establishment cultivator's spiritual power; it was inherently crushing.
She had never expected Wang Yuan to withstand her spiritual pressure.
Recalling how he had taken her palm strike head-on moments ago...
A contemplative look crossed Yu Jiaolong's face. Although the man had reached Foundation Establishment, he primarily cultivated the power of qi and blood along the path of body refinement.
It was not of the same origin as spiritual qi. Thus, even though her magic power was an entire major realm higher, it could not exert an absolute suppressive effect.
"Still..."
"Do you truly think this alone gives you the right to provoke me?"
Just as Yu Jiaolong was about to employ further methods, a clear, resonant voice carried over from the northern high platform.
"Fellow Daoist, surely there is no need to make things difficult for a junior!"
The moment the words fell, a Golden Core spiritual pressure no less potent than Yu Jiaolong's swept forth.
The two forces clashed, whipping up a violent gust in midair.
Her robes fluttering in the wind, Yu Jiaolong looked up toward the speaker.
It was a handsome young man dressed in bright red Daoist robes.
Meeting her gaze, he clasped his hands in a Daoist salute.
"Luo Chen of the Luotian Sect offers his greetings!"
Luo Chen?
Danchenzi!
Yu Jiaolong frowned, then cast an irritated glance at Wang Yuan.
"Mengquan Cave concedes this battle."
With that, she flicked her sleeve and turned away.
Their faces pale, the three Foundation Establishment cultivators from Mengquan Cave trailed meekly behind her petite frame, slinking off in defeat.
Only now did the arena, deathly silent until a moment ago, awaken as if from a dream, erupting into earth-shattering clamor.
The murmurs of shock were merely the usual platitudes, hardly worth detailing.
On the Dao Discussion Platform.
The Sword Sect Golden Core elder stared at Wang Yuan's thirty-foot-tall frame, unable to conceal the astonishment in his eyes.
Could a body like this withstand a sword strike from a Golden Core?
Even with such thoughts swirling in his mind, he still announced the outcome aloud:
"Wang Yuan of the Luotian Sect wins, advancing to eighth place!"
After proclaiming this loudly, he looked up at Wang Yuan.
"Do you wish to continue challenging?"
Wang Yuan licked his cavernous maw, visibly eager for more.
Yet after hearing Luo Chen's divine sense transmission, he had no choice but to suppress his lingering reluctance.
"I shall stop here!"
With that, he tapped several acupoints across his body, and his colossal frame gradually began to shrink.
Draping a hemp garment over himself, he left the Dao Discussion Platform and ascended toward the Luotian Sect's spectator stand to the north.
Wherever he passed, gazes of admiration, reverence, awe, and fear followed him.
Even the Golden Core masters wore looks of appreciation and curiosity.
Whispers buzzed by his ears: "He's so strong! Why didn't he keep fighting? He's huge! Look at those thick arms!"
Ignoring them all, he made straight for the platform where Luo Chen and the others sat.
The moment he arrived, he saw Luo Chen set out a chair.
"Take a seat!"
Wang Yuan paused, his gaze sweeping over the other four Golden Core cultivators, but none showed the slightest displeasure.
Instead, their faces were filled with approval.
Pursing his lips, Wang Yuan sat beside Luo Chen, neither humble nor haughty.
"Why didn't you let me keep fighting?"
"Ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators are no longer your match. Unless a true disciple from a Nascent Soul supreme sect, or even someone of Dao Child caliber steps forward, no one can pose a threat to you. Continuing to fight is meaningless."
"Still..."
"You shouldn't have provoked that female cultivator from Mengquan Cave just now. You are no match for her."
Reluctance lingered on Wang Yuan's face.
Yet after reflecting carefully, he could only concede that Luo Chen's assessment was correct.
With just her spiritual pressure alone, she had made him feel as though he were carrying a mountain on his back.
If she unleashed her Golden Core methods without restraint, the only outcome would be his defeat.
Even though he cultivated both body refinement and qi refinement, and had reached great success in the Blood River Realm, he was still no match for a Golden Core master.
A difference of a single realm was as vast as heaven and earth!
Thinking of this, when Luo Chen had slain two Golden Core masters back in Foundation Establishment—even factoring in trickery and circumstance—his fortitude and courage were truly beyond ordinary mortals.
Wang Yuan let out a regretful sigh. "You're right. I was too arrogant."
Luo Chen smiled faintly. Keeping his eyes on the new round of bouts unfolding on the Dao Discussion Platform, he chatted with him:
"In truth, you are already very strong. Against someone who has only just entered the Golden Core stage, you might even put up a fight.
"However, that Yu Jiaolong is an extraordinary prodigy of Mengquan Cave. Blessed with a water-attribute Heavenly Spiritual Root, she formed her core within a century, and has high hopes of reaching the Nascent Soul realm in the future. The reason Mengquan Cave left the Fenghua Domain and traveled far from home to join the opening war was partly because their spiritual spring dried up, but mainly to create a better environment for her future Nascent Soul formation.
"Right now, there is still a noticeable gap between you and her."
Wang Yuan was startled. Was that petite female cultivator truly so formidable?
He had assumed she was just an ordinary Golden Core cultivator.
Then again, perhaps no one who managed to achieve the Golden Core stage could ever truly be called ordinary!
"Speaking of which, you seem to have comprehended my Convergence of Myriad Paths to quite a deep level!" Luo Chen remarked with praise.
During the battle just now, he had observed everything with crystal clarity through his divine sense.
Particularly when Wang Yuan executed the Giant Spirit Transformation, the nuances bore an uncanny resemblance to the methods in Convergence of Myriad Paths.
Wang Yuan nodded. "Though I dislike demon-like transformations, your Convergence of Myriad Paths does hold many merits. Techniques like Qi Drawing and Armor Manifestation, combined with Lu Rong's Smoke Armor secret art from the Divine Craft Sect, have made my current Giant Spirit Transformation all the more versatile and powerful."
Luo Chen came to an understanding.
The man's talent and aptitude along the path of body refinement were indeed extraordinary.
Comprehending qi-sensing was already astonishing enough.
Taking another step forward in the art of transformation was only natural.
Now, the only obstacle left standing before Wang Yuan was the step of gathering will to embrace the core and condensing qi into astral fiend.
At this thought, Luo Chen turned toward Diwu Qi.
"Fellow Daoist, what of the promised reward?"
Diwu Qi chuckled heartily and generously presented a cyan pouch before Wang Yuan.
"Inside are ten wisps of Divine Wind Astral Fiend. Consider this wind pouch an extra gift from me."
Wang Yuan accepted the cyan pouch, probed it with his spiritual sense, and showed a look of satisfaction.
Seeing him confirm the contents, Luo Chen set his mind at ease as well.
"There is no need to rush the matter of the third realm of body refinement. Fighting peers of the same realm yields little benefit for you now, while Golden Core masters are far beyond your reach.
"Wait!
"Once the opening war begins, those Tier 3 demon beasts with straightforward tactics will be the best whetstone for your advancement.
"Your opportunity lies not here, but in the mountains."
Wang Yuan nodded.
Naturally, he understood as well. The cultivators on the arena stage lacked the courage for true life-and-death combat; they could never supply him with the pressure of mortal peril.
Today, making a name for himself and claiming Shop Number Eight was enough!
Following that, Luo Chen and the others watched the rest of the sects' battles for the shops from start to finish.
The methods shown by those Foundation Establishment cultivators were entertaining enough to Diwu Qi and the others, but in Luo Chen's eyes, they grew rather dull.
Just as Wang Yuan had remarked before, these sect cultivators hailing from established cultivation domains might wield powerful arts, but their combat experience was truly lacking.
Their grasp of timing, assessment of risk, and even the courage to risk their lives fell far short.
Ultimately, sect cultivators had not undergone enough tempering through blood and fire. While their cultivation progressed quickly, in battles between peers of the same realm, they simply lacked the ruthless brutality of men like Luo Chen and Wang Yuan, who lived on the edge of the blade.
Given the exact same techniques, Luo Chen and his kind would execute them with far sharper lethality!
After all, their entire journey had been carved through mountains of corpses and seas of blood!
The only aspect that offered Luo Chen a touch of amusement was the inexplicable sentiment born from his change in status.
Once upon a time, he had been an insignificant spectator among the hundred thousand in the crowd.
He had also stepped onto the stage himself, pitting his pill dao against others.
Yet without realizing it, he had become just like those once-aloof Golden Core masters—sitting high upon the grand pavilions, leisurely watching the wind and rain.
...
As evening drew near, Luo Chen lost interest in watching any further.
Calling Wang Yuan over, he exchanged greetings with Diwu Qi and the others, then took the Luotian Sect disciples and departed first.
Leaving the Dao Discussion Platform, the sweltering atmosphere cooled in an instant, and even the air seemed to taste sweeter.
Walking along the spacious street, Luo Chen discussed firsthand news regarding the opening war with Wang Yuan and Chu Kui.
Having arrived somewhat late, his earlier intelligence had become outdated.
Now, as a newcomer, he naturally wanted to gain a thorough understanding.
However, the intelligence he ultimately gathered was scant.
The bulk of prior reports focused primarily on the construction of Moonbreaking Immortal City. A few rogue cultivators, unable to restrain their impatience, had ventured into the interior of the Howling Moon Mountain Range to explore, but had reaped very little.
The only information that caught Luo Chen's attention was regarding the Howling Moon Wolf Clan.
"The Tier 4 Demon Wolf Emperor is named Ao Xiao, and has maintained human form for over a century.
"He is said to be exceedingly strong. True Person Han Zhan of the Falling Cloud Sect, who broke through to the Nascent Soul realm not long ago, briefly clashed with him once. True Person Han Zhan admitted to feeling immense pressure, which was why he halted his advance, broke ground, and constructed Moonbreaking Immortal City."
Hearing this, Luo Chen's brow furrowed slightly.
Wolf Emperor Ao Xiao being strong was well within expectations.
Low-tier demon beasts lacked intelligence and acted purely on instinct, posing little real threat.
Once they reached Tier 3 and refined away the vocal bone, their intellect became no different from that of an ordinary human.
And upon reaching Tier 4 and assuming human form, bolstered by their superior physiques and legendary ancestral bloodline legacies, demon beasts often looked down upon human cultivators of the same realm.
Yet True Person Han Zhan felt immense pressure?
That was rather intriguing.
Luo Chen remembered clearly that this man had once dared to confront the White Bone Mysterious Snake.
That White Bone Mysterious Snake had assumed human form three hundred years ago; its strength was undeniably superior to Wolf Emperor Ao Xiao's.
There was no reason for Han Zhan to not fear the White Bone Mysterious Snake, yet fear Wolf Emperor Ao Xiao.
"It seems my previous suspicion was correct: Han Zhan's goal is to leverage the coalition army's power to build a super immortal city and reap profits.
"After all, the pressure he spoke of was merely his own claim, not something witnessed by outside observers."
Beside him, Chu Kui continued talking at length, speaking of the Howling Moon Wolf Clan's general situation.
Beneath Wolf Emperor Ao Xiao were thirty-six Tier 3 demon wolves, all answering to the Wolf Emperor's command.
In addition, there were several thousand Tier 2 wolves, and countless Tier 1 demon wolves!
This force was formidable!
Yet before the twenty-seven sects, it hardly seemed like much.
The Falling Cloud Sect had mobilized in full force, fielding several hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators and over a dozen Golden Core masters.
The remaining eight upper sects dispatched roughly one to three Golden Core cultivators each.
The main body consisted of the eighteen major Golden Core sects; the smaller ones fielded three Golden Core cultivators, while the larger ones, like Mengquan Cave, brought as many as ten.
All told, there were over a hundred Golden Core experts alone!
Factoring in a million cultivators and nearly ten thousand Foundation Establishment True Cultivators... it was enough to sweep across the Howling Moon Mountain Range!
"Calculated this way, if I wish to seize a piece of Tier 3 spiritual land, my primary enemies won't be demon beasts, but fellow human cultivators."
"Too many monks and not enough gruel!"
Murmuring to himself, Luo Chen arrived at the Luotian Sect's temporary encampment—a row of temporary stone houses built within the immortal city.
"As for taking over Shop Number Eight, Xu Huanzhen will handle it tomorrow," Luo Chen instructed before entering the house.
Xu Huanzhen immediately complied.
Then Luo Chen looked at Wang Yuan. "Don't go looking for opponents these days. If you truly lack a sparring partner, I will practice with you."
Wang Yuan nodded.
Having just obtained the Divine Wind Astral Fiend, he was eager to study it and had no intention of going out anyway.
Finally, Luo Chen's gaze fell upon Chu Kui.
Forty years had passed since his failed attempt at core formation.
The cultivation realm he had fallen from had gradually been regained, bringing him once again to Foundation Establishment Great Perfection.
Yet even though Luo Chen had Wang Yuan pass along his self-created Micromote Origin Art, and Chu Kui had begun cultivating it, Chu Kui still had not rushed to charge at the Golden Core realm.
That past failure had cast a heavy shadow over his heart.
So long as the "residual poison" in his qi sea remained unpurged, he would not dare attempt core formation for a single day.
Now, Chu Kui's face was weathered with age. He had lost his former swagger, growing increasingly taciturn.
Luo Chen patted his shoulder. "Don't rush. Fu Jiusheng mentioned to me that in three days, there will be a gathering among Golden Core cultivators in Moonbreaking Immortal City. When the time comes, I'll see if I can find a method to purge foreign magic power for you."
Chu Kui nodded heavily, a spark of hope kindling in his otherwise deadened eyes.
I hope one can be found!
...
Inside the crudely styled cultivation chamber, Luo Chen sensed the fluctuations of spiritual qi and curled his lip.
Tier 2 upper-grade.
The Falling Cloud Sect could be considered generous for establishing so many Tier 2 immortal abodes within the city, but for him, the benefit was minimal.
"Cultivation still depends on myself!"
Luo Chen mumbled under his breath. Light gleamed from his storage ring, and a jade bottle appeared in his hand.
With a casual tilt, a pill fell out, translucent as colored glass and resplendent as starlight.
The Many Stars Pill, a Tier 3 cultivation-type pill!
This was precisely the pill recipe Fu Jiusheng had gifted him back at the Core Formation Ceremony.
It had been in his possession for over half a year.
Before heading to Azure Pill Valley, he had studied it for a long time, and over the subsequent months, he had finally found his footing.
After over a hundred failures, Luo Chen had mastered the basics naturally without relying on the system.
It was also for this reason that he hadn't chosen the Yan Alliance's True Flame Pill, which he had obtained not long ago, but had instead concocted the Many Stars Pill.
Along the journey here, cooped up aboard the Scarlet Flame Dragon Boat without stepping outside, he had spent his time studying the fundamentals of artifact crafting and wholeheartedly refining the Many Stars Pill.
By now, his proficiency had stabilized at the Practiced level, achieving a twenty percent success rate.
Out of ten sets of raw ingredients, he could succeed twice, yielding ten pills per batch.
"The True Flame Pill only bolsters fire-attribute spiritual qi, whereas the Many Stars Pill provides five-element spiritual qi.
"I currently specialize in the Burning Wood True Art, which requires absorbing both fire- and wood-attribute spiritual qi simultaneously. By comparison, even if the True Flame Pill possesses greater medicinal potency, the Many Stars Pill suits me far better.
"Fu Jiusheng truly did me a great favor."
With a faint smile, Luo Chen swallowed the low-grade Many Stars Pill.
In an instant, an immense yet gentle medicinal potency slowly dispersed through his body.
Luo Chen then circulated his natal cultivation method, refining the spiritual qi contained within the pill.
His cultivation progress began to climb, slowly but inexorably.
Chapter 478