Xiu Chun was the name of the Tier 3 Grey Leaf Wolf King that Luo Chen had purchased.
The origin of this name traced back to the fortune that sparked its rise.
Deep in the Barren Mountains, an ancient toon tree that had lived for who knew how many years had awakened spiritual awareness. It embarked upon the path of absorbing the essence of the sun and moon, transforming from flora into a spirit.
Over a thousand years passed, and this great toon tree barely attained the peak of Tier 3 Great Perfection, standing a mere step away from Tier 4 transformation, shedding its earthly tether to ascend into the heavens.
The great toon attempted that final step.
Yet under the heavenly tribulation of transformation, it fell short at the threshold of success.
Its awareness destroyed and its dharma body shattered, it withered into a half-rotted, ordinary Tier 3 toon tree, lingering on the brink of death deep in the mountains.
Back then, the Grey Leaf Wolf King was only at Tier 1. Its intellect was barely half-opened, and it acted purely on instinct.
By sheer coincidence, it stumbled across that dying, ancient toon tree.
A demon beast's instinct told it that even though this flora spirit had already perished, even the remnants of its dharma body offered immense benefits.
Thus, it made the tree its home, nesting inside its hollow trunk.
Centuries drifted by. It climbed from Tier 1 to Tier 2, condensing its demon core, tempering its demon power, and ultimately made a smooth, steady breakthrough to the rank of a Tier 3 wolf king!
It was then that it took the name Xiu Chun—the Rotted Toon.
It had believed that from then on, across the vast breadth of heaven and earth, it could roam and howl proudly through the mountains and rivers. Never had it imagined that the wretched human cultivators would ignite an opening war.
Summoned by the wolf emperor who had awakened the Heavenly Wolf bloodline, it joined the war to defend its homeland.
Unfortunately, having grown accustomed to quiet cultivation over centuries without much battle experience, it was captured alive by human cultivators after only two fights.
Not only that, but they riddled its body with restrictions, leaving it unable to live or die by its own will.
Back then, it had guessed what fate awaited it.
Most likely, someone would buy it, enslave it using beast-taming arts, and make it a mount or a spirit beast guarding a mountain gate.
As for being slaughtered, flayed, butchered for its bones, and having its flesh and blood devoured?
It had never entertained that thought.
It was, after all, a Tier 3 demon king. Human cultivators would never be so wasteful.
That was fine too!
At least it would not have to die for now. Humiliating though it was, as long as it managed to cultivate to the transformation stage in the future, it might still have a chance to slip free from its enemy's grasp.
However!
Never in its wildest dreams did Xiu Chun imagine that the human cultivator who bought it from Broken Moon Immortal City, despite having the outward demeanor of a righteous expert, would possess such unhinged and sadistic methods.
The man actually used it to practice sinister arts!
Within those illusions, there was not merely blissful indulgence, but also terror dredged from the deepest corners of its soul!
Day after day, sunken in illusion, Xiu Chun's already fragile mind was pushed to the very brink of collapse.
To the point where, in recent years, every time it saw Luo Chen, it trembled violently, wishing the man would just put an end to its life.
"When will these days ever end..." Xiu Chun muttered to itself.
Suddenly!
It snapped to its senses.
Why had this round of illusion ended so quickly?
"Ah..."
A low, agonized groan drifted from not far away.
Xiu Chun sluggishly raised its head. There, it saw the man who was like a living nightmare to it, kneeling on one knee with both hands clutching his head, his entire body trembling violently.
Xiu Chun's mind worked slowly, unsure of what was happening.
Yet from the meager knowledge in its memories, a guess vaguely surfaced.
*Has this Luotian Sect Supreme Elder suffered cultivation deviation while practicing a technique?*
The moment this sudden thought arose, a glimmer of hope slowly bloomed in the despairing wolf's eyes.
It was bound by restrictions and could not channel its demon power.
Yet a demon beast's innate physical might could still be leveraged to an extent.
Especially when the distance between them was so short!
If it merely walked over and bit down hard, snapping that man's neck...
*Gulp!*
A distinct sound of swallowing saliva emerged from its throat.
The instinct to survive and the desperate hope of escaping into freedom drove the shrunken wolf king forward. Step by step, it crept toward its nightmare.
Closer!
Closer still!
Just one bite—only one bite was needed!
It slowly opened its jaws wide, a foul, metallic stench wafting from its fangs.
Just as it prepared to bite Luo Chen to death with lightning speed, the kneeling man raised his head, gazing coldly in its direction.
"Vile beast!"
Pale skin, crimson tears of blood, black lines running like chains, and a pair of eyes beyond description.
They were like cold abyssal depths, yet simultaneously resembled a sky full of stars.
Moons rose and set, flowers bloomed and fell, and amid the undulating ripples of water, endless shadows and light flickered into existence and extinguished.
With just a single glance!
Xiu Chun's mind crumbled, plunging straight into the depths of illusion.
Clutching his forehead with one hand, Luo Chen raised the other and made a grasping motion. Plumes of azure flame burst from his fingertips, completely engulfing the demon wolf.
"I cannot keep you around any longer."
Originally, Luo Chen had planned to finish using this demon beast and then enslave it with the *Myriad Beast Scripture* to guard the mountain gate.
Yet even under such torment, this beast still harbored the intent to devour its master.
If he were not around in the future, the beast might turn upon the Luotian Sect.
Moreover, with the strange transformation occurring in his body right now, he needed to enter seclusion for a while and had no time to suppress it.
Better to simply slay it!
Under the terrifying incineration of the Wither-Bloom Fire, Xiu Chun's body thrashed violently, its frame involuntarily expanding.
The immense agony pulled it awake from the trance of illusion, but each time it regained awareness, meeting Luo Chen's gaze plunged it straight back into the abyss.
Over and over, the cycle repeated.
Within the valley, the massive fireball gradually shrank.
Not until Luo Chen clutched his eyes and let out a muffled grunt did he halt the process.
"Return!"
With a soft cry, the Wither-Bloom Fire returned to his body.
In an instant, an immense surge of vitality poured forth from the flickering flame in his qi sea.
Nourished by this influx, his Golden Core spun briskly, as if thoroughly exhilarated.
Most exhilarated of all was Luo Chen's body.
The searing pain in his eyes was soothed considerably under this washing tide of vitality.
Luo Chen had no time to dwell on how much his body had benefited from devouring a Tier 3 demon beast. With a casual wave of his hand, he cast a Cleansing Art over the valley, swept his sleeves, and returned to his immortal's cave.
The moment he entered, he impatiently produced a bronze mirror to inspect his eyes.
No change?
Aside from his pupils appearing slightly deeper, there seemed to be no visible difference at all.
Yet Luo Chen knew that many things had fundamentally changed.
Because he knew with absolute clarity that *Mirror Flower, Water Moon*, the Tier 3 illusion art he had cultivated to the utmost limit, had fused completely into his eyes.
Such an occurrence might sound utterly inconceivable to others.
Yet Luo Chen felt no panic.
This was because, during his Qi Refining stage, he had experienced something similar.
Back then, he had cultivated the Tier 1 Spirit Eye Art to the limit, causing it to take root directly in his eyes.
And this time, an illusion technique had taken root within them.
Luo Chen sat cross-legged on the prayer mat, quietly sensing the mutation within his body.
After a long while, he gradually pieced together the origins of this transformation.
The foundation lay in the Spirit Eye Art that had rooted in his eyes.
Furthermore, over the past century, he had regularly used Runming Pearl Fluid to nourish his eyes. Whenever he obtained Lucid Fluid from the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect, he had applied it generously to his eyes without hesitation.
Though no obvious effects showed on ordinary days, it had indeed laid an extraordinarily solid foundation for this pair of eyes.
His perception, which far surpassed that of normal cultivators, was not solely due to his formidable divine sense; the sharpness of his eyes contributed as well.
Most crucially, not long ago, he had engraved the Tier 3 Concealment Array onto his body, covering his eyes along with the rest.
Through all these intersecting factors, when *Mirror Flower, Water Moon* reached Great Perfection, this mutation emerged unexpectedly, yet entirely within reason.
*I wonder whether this art's power has grown with the empowerment of my eyes.*
Luo Chen recalled the scene of burning the Grey Leaf Wolf King moments earlier.
Under the relentless reinforcement of his illusion art, the creature had been refined alive with virtually no resistance.
That was simply appalling!
One had to remember, that was a Tier 3 demon beast comparable to a human Golden Core cultivator!
Of course, it was partly because the Grey Leaf Wolf King was bound by restrictions and had suffered his continuous torment for over two years.
Even so, the outcome was genuinely terrifying.
*Unlike when the Spirit Eye Art rooted itself back then, this involves combat methods. I must carefully investigate and master its patterns thoroughly.*
*Also, when I used it earlier, my eyes suffered intense pain, as though my divine soul were being tugged. I must find the cause of that as well.*
Muttering softly, Luo Chen retrieved two voice transmission talismans from his storage ring. Leaving messages for Yao Mingyue and Yuan Xiaoyue respectively, he plunged back into seclusion.
***
Time flowed on, and three months passed in the blink of an eye.
Within the Luotian Alliance, the atmosphere was exceptionally bright.
The three-year term was nearly up!
Over such a long time, the cultivators dispatched by the alliance to the front lines had neither returned early nor sent word of bereavement.
This meant nothing catastrophic had occurred.
Under these circumstances, who would not be overjoyed?
None were more delighted than the Cen family of Huimeng Ridge.
Once the three-year term ended, Cen Qiusheng could return safely, ensuring the Cen family remained within the ranks of Golden Core clans!
Amid this celebratory mood, an inexplicable aura of pressure faintly enveloped the surrounding hundred li of Huimeng Ridge.
Sensing this pressure, everyone froze.
Immediately after, an astonishing realization dawned on every mind.
Someone was forming a core!
Huimeng Ridge! The Cen family! It had to be Cen Guangyi, the foremost junior of the Cen clan!
Instantly, waves of turbulent emotion swept through everyone.
Would he succeed?
If he did, the Cen family would possess two Golden Core lords in short order!
What impact would that have on the alliance's tripartite balance of power?
And would the other two factions willingly watch such a variable emerge?
Naturally, in this period, an additional Golden Core lord for the Luotian Alliance was unequivocally good news.
Especially for the late Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Who knew whether they might be the next lucky one?
Thus, everyone watched as the Cen family cultivators mobilized frantically, stationing guards at every pass across Huimeng Ridge and establishing tight cordons.
Several friendly cultivators from the other two factions were also requested by the Cen clan to help stand guard along the perimeter.
Atop Tieqing Mountain, a solitary figure gazed upon this scene, expression shifting unpredictably.
After a long pause, seeing that the pressure was growing increasingly heavy and faintly beginning to draw upon the surrounding worldly spiritual energy, Diwu Qi gritted his teeth and stepped forward.
Treading across the void, he headed straight for Huimeng Ridge.
As he flew, his resonant voice boomed outward:
"I have come to protect our young friend!"
Witnessing this, the Cen family cultivators grew inexplicably tense.
They knew the terms of the alliance treaty!
Everything applied only until the Tier 3 spirit vein was secured!
Now that the spirit vein had been taken, that covenant could essentially be considered fulfilled ahead of schedule.
The Luotian Alliance was currently an entity in name only.
Diwu Qi's uninvited arrival brought them worry rather than joy.
Just then, a faint, leisurely voice fell clearly into everyone's ears.
"Fellow Daoist, please hold your step!"
Diwu Qi whipped his head around.
At some point, Luo Chen's figure had appeared on the grand plaza of the magnificent hall on Snow Wolf Terrace.
Looking down at Luo Chen from above, Diwu Qi's face soured slightly.
"Danchenzi, what is the meaning of this?"
Luo Chen watched him placidly. "I am the dao protector entrusted by Fellow Daoist Cen for Cen Guangyi. No Golden Core cultivator is permitted to approach the perimeter of Huimeng Ridge."
"I came out of goodwill as well," Diwu Qi said, reluctant to back down.
Luo Chen shook his head. "Watching from afar is enough. Why must you draw close? If vile scoundrels truly come to disrupt him, it will not be too late for you and me to act."
He spoke with utmost calm, yet the warning in his words was stark and unmistakable.
On the surface, the Luotian Alliance seemed harmonious.
Yet the undercurrents among the top echelon were an open secret.
The primary friction lay between the Storm Mountain Villa and the Luotian Sect.
Storm Mountain Villa had originally dominated alone, possessing two Golden Core lords of deep cultivation. But once Jiang Yu departed, Diwu Qi was left unsupported. His frequent seclusion lately to attempt the fourth layer and attain the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm clearly reflected the urgency in his heart.
As for the Luotian Sect, though they only had two Golden Core Layer 1 cultivators, everyone knew the sect's foundation was profound.
Wang Yuan and Chu Kui, two top-tier powerhouses of the Foundation Establishment realm, were in secluded cultivation.
If they emerged successfully, the Luotian Sect would leap forward and become the absolute dominant power within the alliance.
At that point, they could even cast aside Storm Mountain Villa and the Cen family to act entirely on their own.
Of course, that was merely a possibility.
Breaking through to the Golden Core realm was no simple feat.
It was precisely because of this that Diwu Qi wished to avoid any further disruptions.
He had originally thought to ally with the Cen family to preserve the tripartite balance.
Yet to his dismay, old Cen Qiusheng trusted Luo Chen's character more. He preferred befriending Luo Chen rather than allying with him.
Consequently, Diwu Qi was all the more reluctant to see a second Golden Core cultivator emerge from the Cen family.
Suspended in the void, Diwu Qi's expression darkened further.
Suddenly, he declared loudly, "Danchenzi, you have always been the leader of the Luotian Alliance, but we both know that was purely nominal. Since we are both free today, why don't you and I spar to settle who is truly fit to hold the alliance leader's seat?"
These words were not transmitted through divine sense.
They were broadcast brazenly to the ears of every cultivator across all three factions.
Luo Chen frowned slightly. "I think there is no need for that."
"There is great need!" Diwu Qi said emphatically. "The heavens cannot hold two suns, and a realm cannot have two masters. When people speak of the Luotian Alliance, they say you are the alliance leader, yet I am the one with the highest cultivation. If we do not determine who is superior, how can we command obedience in the future!"
Luo Chen fell silent.
Seeing this, Diwu Qi's spirits rose. "How about this? A prolonged battle would indeed harm our harmony—let us settle it in a single move!"
"I know you excel in arts. I will give you ample time to cast your technique leisurely. As long as you can withstand a single move from me, you win."
"That way, no one can accuse me of bullying the weak with higher cultivation, or winning unfairly!"
Beneath the gaze of thousands, the core-formation aura on Huimeng Ridge climbed steadily higher, while in the sky, Diwu Qi brimmed with confidence.
Far away before the Luotian Hall on Snow Wolf Terrace, the Daoist's figure stood solitary upon the white jade plaza.
After a long pause, he gave a slight nod.
"Very well. A single move it is."
Diwu Qi rejoiced inwardly.
As long as he edged out Luo Chen and solidified his future dominance within the alliance, what did it matter if the Cen family produced a second Golden Core?
What did it matter if the Luotian Sect produced another expert?
As the alliance leader, his words and actions would carry far greater weight.
He might even be able to leverage Luo Chen to concoct mid-grade Starry Sky Pills for him.
Amid these swirling thoughts, a wisp of eerie wind surfaced at his fingertips.
Seeing this, Luo Chen shook his head.
"Fellow Daoist, in your rush to break through recently, you have become too impatient; your mind is unsteady!"
Diwu Qi froze.
The very next moment, a bizarre scene unfolded before his eyes.
Several li away, Luo Chen bowed his head slightly, his index and middle fingers pressed together like a sword, held upright above the wings of his nose and below his eye sockets.
In a voice almost imperceptible, he uttered a soft cry:
"Open!"
He snapped his head up.
What met Diwu Qi's gaze was shocking.
Grotesque, sinister black lines radiated outward from both of Luo Chen's eyes, sprawling across his cheeks in all directions.
A pair of eerie, chilling eyes stared coldly at Diwu Qi.
Realization dawned on Diwu Qi. *Not good!*
He attempted to rally his divine soul power to defend against that unknown assault.
Yet it was already too late!
In a single instant, his body locked in rigid paralysis.
By the time he came to his senses, a figure was already standing beside him in the wind, shoulder to shoulder.
Amid the fluttering of his sleeves, Luo Chen spoke placidly.
"Fellow Daoist, are you convinced now?"
Diwu Qi's mouth fell open, his face an expanse of sheer disbelief.
"How..."
"How could this be?"
"How could it be so fast!"
Listening to these murmurs, Luo Chen's expression remained tranquil, though he blinked subconsciously.
After a long silence, Diwu Qi, his face drained of color, lowered his once-lofty head.
"I concede defeat!"
Throughout the alliance, countless cultivators held their breath at the sight.
Only when Diwu Qi's admission of defeat rang out did an uproar erupt.
None of them had seen what method Luo Chen had employed.
They had merely seen him glide effortlessly to a halt directly before Diwu Qi, seemingly without the slightest concern for an ambush.
Only the Foundation Establishment cultivators vaguely grasped what had transpired.
A divine soul attack!
Only an attack so profoundly abstruse and untraceable could have caught Diwu Qi unawares and dealt him such a massive setback.
During that frozen interval, had Luo Chen wished to strike, Diwu Qi could have died a thousand times over.
Once they realized this, terror surged within every Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Luotian Alliance.
Diwu Qi was a formidable Golden Core Layer 3 existence!
Yet the alliance leader had defeated him with such effortless ease.
In a fight to the death, wouldn't the alliance leader be capable of slaughtering anyone within the early Golden Core realm at will?
Even against a mid-stage Golden Core expert, the alliance leader might well fight and emerge victorious!
Up in the sky, Luo Chen remarked calmly, "Though I do not know what issues you encountered in your cultivation, you were indeed too hasty. If we had clashed head-on, the odds would have been roughly even, yet you grew so arrogant. In particular, your Duckweed Nether Wind is far better suited for stealth and assassination, yet you displayed it so brazenly before me. Diwu Qi, haste makes waste—surely you do not need me to teach you that principle?"
Diwu Qi's face was ashen, unable to utter a single retort.
Defeated.
He had been defeated with humiliating ease.
He had not even had the chance to unleash his move.
Though he longed to dispute it, his lips refused to move.
Only one who had directly met those eyes could truly comprehend how terrifying they were.
Just as his mind went blank, his expression suddenly shifted.
Glancing at Luo Chen, who had already furrowed his brow a step ahead of him, Diwu Qi let out a breath.
"It seems someone was even more impatient than me!"
Luo Chen sighed and shook his head.
"What a pity."
Above Huimeng Ridge, the immense pressure that had spanned a hundred li was receding like an ebb tide.
Everyone understood what this spectacle signified.
Core formation had failed!
Sorrow washed across the faces of countless Cen family cultivators, and multiple figures dashed frantically toward the immortal's cave where Cen Guangyi had entered seclusion.
Though a touch regretful, Luo Chen did not dwell on it.
This was not the first time he had witnessed a failed core formation.
Further back, Xuan Yu of Peach Mountain had failed his core formation and ended up in the False Core realm.
More recently, Tantai Jin of the Ice Fort had perished entirely, his dao extinguished.
Even closer to home, Chu Kui had fallen short at the final threshold.
The world saw only the glorious, commanding presence of Golden Core lords, but that was merely survivor bias.
Who knew how many brilliantly talented peak Foundation Establishment experts lay buried beneath those Golden Core lords, carrying regret to their graves?
Withdrawing his thoughts, Luo Chen cast a cold glance at Diwu Qi, whose complexion had returned to normal.
"Though the Tier 3 spirit vein has been conquered, it has not yet been formally allocated to us. To burn bridges at this juncture is, after all, premature."
"You... conduct yourself with care!"
As he spoke, a flicker of magical power fluctuated across his body, vanishing in a flash.
Then, he strode away toward Huimeng Ridge.
Diwu Qi had originally felt displeased by his lecturing tone.
Yet upon sensing that profound, vigorous surge of magical power, his expression transformed abruptly.
Golden Core Layer 2!
Chapter 497