"Thank you!"
"Hm?"
Luo Chen was taken aback, unsure what the other meant.
However, Lin Qingxuan did not leave him to guess.
"Thank you for waking Martial Uncle Pang," Lin Qingxuan said calmly.
Luo Chen hesitated. "Elder Pang Renxiong?"
"Yes."
Lin Qingxuan nodded and spoke of past events.
It turned out that when Pang Renxiong was slain all those years ago, he had relied on his state of a Lucid Sword Heart to devour the residual essence of the three great ghost kings and turned to cultivating the ghost path.
Within just a few years, he broke through to the Tier 3 Ghost King realm.
Yet advancing so rapidly came with drawbacks.
After ascending to the Ghost King realm, the resentment from before his death and the lingering wills of the three ghost kings clouded his mind and threw his consciousness into chaos.
Left unchecked, he would have eventually degenerated into a bewildered, chaotic ghost.
It was Luo Chen!
Back in Dahe Ghost City, Luo Chen had produced Pang Renxiong's keepsake from when he was alive and called out "Master."
Only then, in the nick of time, did he summon back the memories buried deep within Pang's soul.
In the years that followed, the reason the Dahe ghost domain had not continued to spread and remained confined strictly to the area of Dahe Mill was also because Pang Renxiong had regained his senses and deliberately constrained the reach of the ghost domain.
"If not for your reminder back then, Martial Uncle Pang would surely have succumbed to the evil path of yin wraiths and specters, never again able to walk the orthodox Dao," Lin Qingxuan said with deep feeling, gratitude showing in his eyes. "Though Martial Uncle Pang has an unyielding, upright nature, he treats us juniors exceptionally well and has shown great favor in mentoring me. Since you did him a great kindness, it is only right that I personally thank you."
Luo Chen came to an understanding.
That Pang Renxiong liked to foster the younger generation wasn't flattery—it truly was his nature.
Back then, he had generously bestowed the Tianyue Purple-Gold Wheel and the Lanke Black and White Go Stones on Miao Wen, Luo Tianhong, and the others without a second thought.
Upon learning of Luo Chen's talent in alchemy, he hadn't hesitated to recruit him into his sect, even planning to bring him back to the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect.
Luo Chen had even prepared himself to bid farewell to his friends and follow him.
Had it not been for that battle afterward... Luo Chen might very well be an officially registered disciple of a Nascent Soul supreme sect by now.
With Pang Renxiong's fiercely protective nature combined with Luo Chen's diligent efforts, he would have made Foundation Establishment True Inheritor at the very least!
Of course, Luo Chen had never regretted not going to the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect. Back then, the future had been uncertain; ghost knew whether he would have been able to cultivate in peace in the Sword Sect.
Besides, he wasn't doing poorly now!
Suddenly, Luo Chen realized something and asked, "How did you learn of such a secret matter, Fellow Daoist?"
Lin Qingxuan smiled slightly, revealing clean white teeth. "Naturally, Martial Uncle Pang told us himself after returning to the sect. He brought you up, and after we told him of your situation, he sighed with great emotion as well."
Pang Renxiong had already returned to the sect?
Luo Chen nodded and glanced around. "Did he not come for this opening war?"
"He did not. He still needs to remain in closed-door cultivation for a time to stabilize his realm. Besides... heh, how could he possibly come to the Luoyun Sect's opening war?" Lin Qingxuan gave a sneer.
Luo Chen quickly thought of the enmity between the two factions.
Though they joined hands now, the grudges and feuds between them had merely been suppressed for the time being.
And!
Luo Chen's curiosity was piqued, and he asked, "Speaking of which, during the battle at Dahe Mill back then, that... mysterious black-robed person used a technique called the Sword-Cauldron Resonating. Could it be..."
Lin Qingxuan's expression turned cold.
Yet he did not lose his temper.
Instead, he said placidly, "That technique is a consummate art of my Sword Sect. Across the entire sect, only the Ancestor and the previous Dao Child knew it."
The Jade Cauldron Sword Sect's previous Dao Child?
A name surfaced in Luo Chen's mind.
Ren Pingsheng!
The man once acclaimed as the foremost Golden Core in the Jade Cauldron Domain.
Unlike Golden Core great sects whose Dao Children were mostly late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, the Sword Sect selected its Dao Children from among Golden Core cultivators.
For Ren Pingsheng to earn such a formidable reputation, he had already reached the late Golden Core stage and was a sword cultivator to boot.
In the small corner of the Jade Cauldron Domain, he truly deserved to be called the foremost Golden Core.
"Then why..."
"You want to ask why Linghu Jie of the Luoyun Sect could perform the Sword-Cauldron Resonating, right?"
"Yes."
Luo Chen nodded, but immediately realized the other party already knew that the mysterious black-robed figure targeting Pang Renxiong at Dahe Mill back then had been Linghu Jie.
Lin Qingxuan let out a quiet sigh. "Senior Brother Ren Pingsheng is already dead. His corpse was refined into a puppet by the Luoyun Sect's Old... by that person, Han Zhan. Back then, Linghu Jie merely borrowed that puppet to deal with Martial Uncle Pang. That was why you saw what you did—our Sword Sect's Golden Core being killed by our own Sword Sect's arts."
At this point, a rare flash of anger crossed Lin Qingxuan's face.
"Senior Brother Ren was the prodigy most likely to reach the Nascent Soul stage in our sect back then, yet he fell at Han Zhan's hands. We will not forget this feud."
Listening from the side, Luo Chen kept quiet.
His relations with the Luoyun Sect were decent enough; he wouldn't speak ill of them behind their backs.
Besides, despite the supposed deep feud, weren't the two Nascent Soul sects allied now?
In the face of the colossal benefits offered by an opening war, petty grudges amounted to nothing.
If he tried to fan the flames between them, he would truly be playing with fire.
As his thoughts drifted, Luo Chen naturally considered further.
At the Great Snow Mountain, he had seen Master Han Zhan summon five Golden Core puppets to unleash a sword formation.
Its might had been extraordinary, holding its own even against the White Bone Mysterious Snake.
Reflecting on it now, the appearance and aura of one of those puppets indeed bore a striking resemblance to Pang Renxiong in life.
Did that mean Ren Pingsheng was among the other four puppets?
If so, the enmity between the two factions was far from minor—it was immense!
A sect's supreme prodigy had been refined into a puppet, yet they still consented to join forces?
"Though our Sword Sect is taking part in this war, in truth, I am the only one participating! I intend to use this war to reclaim my Sword Sect's reputation. And once we settle Howling Moon, I will retrieve the remains of our sect's four seniors from that person's hands," Lin Qingxuan spoke with absolute conviction.
A razor-sharp presence emanated from his entire body, arresting the heart and soul.
He was using this war to temper his sword!
Luo Chen saw through his intentions.
There were quite a few people like this, mainly among the several Nascent Soul supreme sects.
Doing business was the primary goal, but they would also dispatch talented disciples to temper themselves outside, lest they work behind closed doors and build castles in the air.
"Apologies, I strayed from the subject." Lin Qingxuan reined in his aura, turning calm once more as he gave Luo Chen an apologetic smile.
Luo Chen smiled in return. "No matter, I was the one who asked."
Lin Qingxuan nodded. "Actually, what I mainly wanted to ask was about something else."
"Speak!" Luo Chen waited.
"Are you interested in joining my Jade Cauldron Sword Sect?"
An age-old topic.
Luo Chen declined without much hesitation.
Starting his own venture might be harder, but it offered independence.
Once he joined a sect, many things would no longer be up to him.
Cultivators as powerful as Ren Pingsheng and Pang Renxiong could still fall victim to schemes.
Besides, given his current realm and standing, so long as he avoided grave mistakes and did not offend those he shouldn't, he would eventually make his mark!
Most importantly!
He had already signed a talisman covenant with Diwu Qi and the others, and he could not back out midway.
Luo Chen's refusal didn't seem to surprise Lin Qingxuan; his expression hardly shifted.
He shook his head. "I don't mean for you to formally switch allegiances, but to join as a guest elder."
"As a guest elder?" Luo Chen's interest was piqued.
Lin Qingxuan acknowledged, "Much like your cooperative relationship with Ice Fort, or with Azure Pill Valley. Our sect will not make you a subordinate; you can still do whatever you wish."
Puzzled, Luo Chen asked, "Then what do you seek?"
Lin Qingxuan smiled faintly. "Naturally, we value your alchemy."
Once stated openly, there was no need to beat around the bush.
The Jade Cauldron Sword Sect simply prized Luo Chen's alchemy and held high hopes for him.
They intended to establish long-term cooperation with him after the opening war concluded.
They were even willing to provide corresponding pill formulas for Luo Chen to study and concoct.
The reason the terms were so generous was also tied to the Sword Sect's shortage of alchemists.
In their entire sect, there was only one presentable Tier 3 alchemist.
If Luo Chen joined, the Sword Sect's Golden Core cultivators would no longer have their cultivation supplies held hostage by the Medicine King Sect.
"I will need to consider it," Luo Chen said.
"No rush, the days ahead are long," Lin Qingxuan smiled, adding, "If you decide to accept, just take the keepsake Martial Uncle Pang gave you back then and head directly up Mount Yuhuang."
"Understood."
Having reached this point, they had no more shared topics to pursue.
The two returned to the grand hall.
By this time, the atmosphere inside had changed completely.
Luo Chen returned to Fei Ming and Fairy Jueqing's side. After taking his seat comfortably, his gaze fell upon the main seat of the hall.
"Who is that?"
"The Luoyun Sect's Second Elder, Cheng Yan!" Fei Ming replied.
Hearing this, information about Cheng Yan instantly surfaced in Luo Chen's memory.
Cheng Yan was an exceptionally renowned Golden Core master of the Luoyun Sect.
At the ninth layer of Golden Core, he had stood tall in the cultivation world for five hundred years without falling!
He was even older than Master Han Zhan of the Luoyun Sect—in fact, he was Han Zhan's senior brother.
However, Han Zhan had taken the step first and formed his Nascent Soul earlier.
Over the years, the Luoyun Sect's affairs, large and small, were primarily handled by this aged Second Elder, who no longer had any chance of forming a Nascent Soul.
Including the opening war!
At that moment, everyone ceased their chatter, their gazes converging on Cheng Yan.
Without the slightest unease, Cheng Yan waved his hand with calm composure.
In the next instant, twenty-six jade slips flew toward the low tables of each seat.
With a shift in thought, Luo Chen caught the jade slip and probed it with his spiritual sense.
"A map?"
"No, a troop distribution map!"
He snapped his head up, looking toward the old man.
Others made the exact same movement.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Cheng Yan spoke slowly: "As you can see, this is the troop distribution map of the Howling Moon Wolf Clan. While not guaranteed to be absolutely exact, most of it is reliable.
"During the construction of Poyue Immortal City, our Luoyun Sect did not sit idle.
"Our disciples utilized puppetry techniques, paying a heavy price to gradually map out eighty percent of the demon beast distribution across the Howling Moon Mountain Range.
"In the upcoming battle!
"Our Luoyun Sect does not wish to drag things out. We shall sweep across Howling Moon with the force of thunder and carve out our human race's foundation."
At these words, the crowd was both startled and overjoyed.
They had all thought the Luoyun Sect built Poyue Immortal City intending to advance slowly and methodically.
Now it appeared they had broken from convention, aiming for a swift victory.
This truly caught many by surprise.
Including Tianfan City!
"Fellow Daoists, the map has been given to you. It details both the demon forces' distribution and the corresponding grades of the spiritual lands.
"Over the coming month, consider your choices carefully and report the regions you wish to attack to our Luoyun Sect.
"In one month, the entire army will march forth!"
Having spoken, Cheng Yan did not linger in the slightest, exiting the main hall directly.
Another Golden Core cultivator of the Luoyun Sect stepped forward, announcing that the gathering would continue, and dispatched sect disciples to serve spiritual wine and immortal fruits.
However, in the face of such news, who had the appetite to eat and drink?
A crowd of Golden Core masters, who usually appeared aloof and detached from mortal affairs in the eyes of outsiders, now erupted into lively debate, making the hall as noisy as a vegetable market.
Beside Luo Chen, Fei Ming held his jade slip to the left, perusing it with great interest, while Fairy Jueqing to his right remained unmoved.
They were different. Mount Ailao's participation in this opening war wasn't meant for relocating their sect, but merely to conduct some business.
They hadn't brought many people either.
The same went for Ice Fort; their focus remained on the Great Snow Mountain.
Only Luo Chen had his spiritual sense submerged deeply in the jade slip, unable to pull away for a long time.
Countless spiritual lands of varying sizes had been surveyed across the Howling Moon Mountain Range.
Above all was one Tier 4 spiritual vein land.
There was no need to consider this one—it was unquestionably the Luoyun Sect's objective!
Next were the Tier 3 spiritual lands coveted by the main forces of this war, the majority of the Golden Core sects.
"Seventeen in total.
"Yet only five are truly suitable for large sects to settle in. The rest are small Tier 3 spiritual veins only fit for two or three Golden Cores to cultivate together.
"Excluding the Golden Core sects that have no ambitions for spiritual lands in the Howling Moon Mountain Range—such as Ice Fort, Mount Ailao, and Huanzhu Tower—that leaves thirteen major sects vying for these five spiritual veins.
"Too many monks and too little gruel!"
Luo Chen let out a sigh.
He had anticipated this situation. Just like the Jade Cauldron Domain in the past, which had only seven sects, the spiritual veins occupied by the Hundred Blossoms Palace and Mount Ailao were not particularly large in scale.
In other words, there had only been five.
Oh!
Ice Fort's wasn't very large either; at most, it could only accommodate nine Golden Core masters cultivating at once, and most of the time they had to take turns.
They couldn't manage a separate dwelling for each person.
Yet Luo Chen hadn't expected that while the Howling Moon Mountain Range was far larger in area than the Jade Cauldron Domain, there were still only six sizable spiritual lands.
Deducting the Tier 4 spiritual land claimed by the Luoyun Sect, thirteen sects were dividing five...
Luo Chen felt a headache coming on.
His Luotian Alliance was hardly powerful; the highest cultivation in the alliance was Diwu Qi at the third layer of Golden Core.
With such a lineup, how could they compete against the others?
He raised his head and caught Fei Ming staring toward the Tianfan City side. Grandmaster Huyan Zhuo's face was dark, an unapproachable chill radiating from his entire being.
"What's wrong with him?" Luo Chen asked, confused.
Fei Ming sent a quiet voice transmission: "What else? If the opening war finishes too quickly, how is Tianfan City going to reap profits? Tsk, tsk, who knows what the Luoyun Sect is thinking, suddenly changing their tune."
Luo Chen furrowed his brow.
Unable to figure it out and unwilling to dwell on it, he had enough troubles on his own plate.
"There is a month's time. I'll head back first to consult with them and see how we should make our choices!"
The exchange gathering was clearly not going to continue smoothly anyway.
Luo Chen greeted Fei Ming and Fairy Jueqing, rose, and took his leave.
As he walked out the door, he saw Huyan Zhuo being invited into another side hall by that Luoyun Sect Golden Core master.
...
Returning to his cave dwelling, Luo Chen immediately sent out a voice transmission talisman.
Soon, Diwu Qi and the others arrived at his abode.
"Take a look!"
Without wasting words, Luo Chen handed them the jade slip.
At the same time, he recounted the Luoyun Sect's decision from the earlier gathering.
After reading it, the others looked at one another in dismay.
"What should we do?"
"Do we compete with the others?"
"How can we compete? The sects relocating their entire foundation either have late Golden Core grand cultivators presiding or boast seven or eight Golden Core masters with profound strength. What about us? We're merely five people."
"We intended to spread our wings and make a grand showing, but looking at it now, our strength is still insufficient!"
"Should we switch to attacking a small Tier 3 spiritual vein instead?"
"Didn't you see the notes on it? Even the largest small Tier 3 spiritual vein can only support three Golden Core masters cultivating simultaneously. How are the five of us supposed to divide it?"
"Don't we still have this cave dwelling in Poyue Immortal City?"
"This cave dwelling only comes with a hundred years of lease rights."
"In a hundred years, Fellow Daoist Cen will probably..."
"No matter, I only have about a hundred years of lifespan left anyway. Still, we truly need to consider the future. After all, we aren't just by ourselves; we have our clans and sects. Among the juniors below, who knows if one or two Golden Core cultivators might be nurtured down the road."
"Indeed, we must plan for the long run!"
Amid the clamor and debate, they reached no conclusion in the end.
Irritated, Luo Chen waved his hand.
"Let's see how things develop; there's still a month."
Fu Jiusheng chimed in, "Indeed, we still have plenty of time to decide. Besides, it's not as if every sect will survive. In past opening wars, there have always been heavy casualties. Those who survive till the end laugh the best. Perhaps we might even pick up some scraps."
His words were reasonable, yet few took them to heart.
The scale of human cultivators deployed in this opening war far surpassed any previous one.
Simply put, the advantage was on their side!
With such an overwhelming advantage, it would practically be a steamroller sweep; where would major casualties come from?
Building an immortal city, assigning attack targets, carving up the meat in advance—some had even turned their minds toward the Great Snow Mountain and the Guyuan Mountain Range.
From all these signs, everyone already viewed the Howling Moon Mountain Range as a cooked duck.
Who wouldn't want a piece of the duck leg?
After each person made a rubbing of the jade slip and departed, the cave dwelling fell quiet.
Before he knew it, night had deepened.
Luo Chen suppressed the irritation in his heart, adjusted his state, and began taking pills to cultivate.
As for attacking demon beasts and choosing land to establish a base, he planned to spend the coming month inquiring more widely, first understanding the intentions and attitudes of other factions before making a move.
Moreover, if the Cloud Crane companions truly intended to attack the Great Snow Mountain, it might divert a portion of the forces there.
The situation wasn't as dire as he feared!
...
The next day.
Before Luo Chen could set out to inquire among his friends, someone arrived unannounced.
"Fellow Daoist Meng!"
Luo Chen's eyes lit up.
Meng Changshou stood smiling at the entrance. "Seeing you looking ready to head out, it seems I came at a bad time!"
Luo Chen let out a hearty laugh. "Not at all, you came at the exact right time."
Why ask around among other people when leveraging Meng Changshou's network would be both faster and more accurate?
The man was widely renowned, with no shortage of people currying favor with him.
If Luo Chen fostered a closer relationship with him and casually inquired, he could easily grasp the movements of others.
As for how to build that relationship?
It was simple enough: cater to his interests.
"Speaking of which, I've run into some difficulties with alchemy recently. Would you care to enter my cave dwelling, Fellow Daoist Meng, and offer a pointer or two?"
Meng Changshou laughed heartily. "I dare not claim to offer pointers. We shall merely discuss and make progress together."
With that, stroking his beard, he stepped leisurely into the cave dwelling at Luo Chen's invitation.
Chapter 481