The Four Overlords of the Northern Sea

Inside the wooden cabin in the valley. Luo Chen sat cross-legged with the Yang-Returning Pill held in his mouth. His robes fluttered without a breeze. As his breathing grew long and steady, the vast worldly spiritual energy outside—drawn forth earlier by his nascent soul omens—surged toward him like an empowering cascade. Under normal circumstances, he naturally would not have dared to ingest and absorb it so rashly. Yet just as Fu Chaosheng had said, this surge of worldly spiritual energy had been summoned by him and bore his own aura throughout the process, making it extraordinarily easy to refine. The premise was that his body could withstand the load! Clearly, with Luo Chen's broad meridians, vast qi sea, and resilient physique, he was fully capable of swallowing it down in one gulp. Throughout this process, the medicinal efficacy of the Yang-Returning Pill melted and suffused his entire body. Luo Chen's scattered soul and turbulent blood essence gradually converged, returning to his firm grasp bit by bit. Focusing on his convalescence, Luo Chen grew increasingly astonished by the wonders of the Yang-Returning Pill. The marvel of this elixir truly surpassed anything he had seen in his lifetime! In the past, the medicines he used were singularly focused: either like the Nether-Passage Pill, which only bolstered soul foundation; or like the True Flame Pill, which augmented mana; or like the Black Emperor Paste, which tempered the physique. Yet the Yang-Returning Pill! Not only did it nourish the soul and focus the spirit, but it also soothed the qi and blood and replenished depleted mana. It was truly three benefits in one! "Worthy of being one of the Alchemy Saint's proud early works!" "If supported by an ample supply of Yang-Returning Pills, a cultivator attempting Nascent Soul formation could easily shave off decades of effort, unifying the three treasures of essence, qi, and spirit to reach the realm of the Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown!" Beyond his awe, Luo Chen felt no regret. Though he had only one Yang-Returning Pill, he was currently merely at the fourth layer of the Golden Core realm; a single pill was more than enough. Time slowly drifted by. Three days later, the boiling spiritual energy in the valley completely dispersed with a passing breeze. Inside the wooden cabin, Luo Chen rose to his feet, exhaling a breath of turbid air. Assessing his condition, he felt an indescribable ease. A feather-light sensation, as if he could ascend to immortality at any moment. Yet his rock-solid cultivation reassured him that he had completely escaped his earlier perilous state. Opening his status panel, Luo Chen's gaze rested on the cultivation progress bar: [Golden Core Fourth Layer: 30/100] For a moment, his gaze froze, and a faint smile gradually tugged at the corners of his lips. Counting it down: he had advanced to the fourth layer of the Golden Core realm in the Xuanyan Sea Domain, only to be forced into the spirit-deficient Coral Trench. For a year after that, he had barely been able to cultivate properly, relying solely on the potency of True Flame Pills to augment his mana. After returning from the Xuanyan Sea Domain, he cultivated on Yaoyue Island for three years using its Tier 3 low-grade spiritual ground, working diligently day and night with virtually no rest. Add to that the half-year journey to Feileng City. All in all, his previous cultivation progress had halted at [17/100]. This cultivation speed matched his earlier judgment: relying solely on Tier 3 low-grade spiritual ground, it would take twenty years to advance a minor realm. If upgraded to Tier 3 high-grade or even peak-grade spiritual land, he could match the legendary speed of Heaven Spiritual Root cultivators—reaching the Nascent Soul realm within two hundred years. Perhaps someone might have wondered why Luo Chen's cultivation speed still lagged behind that of legendary Heaven Spiritual Root cultivators even after switching to the Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Scripture. In reality, the discrepancy lay in the spiritual grounds. Whenever a major sect produced a Heaven Spiritual Root cultivator, resources were poured into them without restraint. To say nothing of external aids like pills, arrays, artifacts, and talismans, they would spare no effort to provide at least high-grade spiritual grounds alone. Take Eastern Desolation's Mengquan Cave, for example. It had produced Yu Jiaolong, who possessed a Water Heaven Spiritual Root and achieved Golden Core within a century. To secure an even better spiritual ground for her, Mengquan Cave did not hesitate to abandon its long-held ancestral lands to join the opening war, all to fight for a superior Tier 3 spiritual ground on her behalf. Thus, the absolute cultivation speed of a Heaven Spiritual Root cultivator was achievable only when their spiritual ground environment was maxed out! For Luo Chen, when he was at Mount Cangwu, his cultivation speed was genuine Heaven Spiritual Root level! In a mere three years, he had advanced a minor realm. That was because his cave abode on Mount Cangwu was a Tier 3 peak-grade spiritual ground! In such an environment, even though he had just switched cultivation arts and had to divide his attention to temper his natal magic treasure, the Hunyuan Cauldron, and the Poyue Wings, he had still progressed by leaps and bounds. Yet after leaving Mount Cangwu and arriving in the Northern Sea, his external resources had never been optimized. That was why, despite his formidable foundation and supreme scripture, his cultivation efficiency had remained bottlenecked. It was also the very reason Luo Chen had chosen to leave the Flying Swallow Archipelago. And this time, in this same Tier 3 low-grade valley spiritual ground, it had taken him merely a month to absorb an immense amount of spiritual energy and convert it into mana, pushing his cultivation progress to thirty percent in one go. A massive leap of thirteen points! In terms of time, a single month's work was nearly equivalent to three years of bitter cultivation! "Is this the power of an epiphany?" Luo Chen felt a wave of profound emotion. Looking back now, in that state, his scripture had circulated automatically, turning his body into a massive magnet that continuously seized, drew, and refined spiritual energy from the surroundings. Even this Tier 3 low-grade spiritual ground had been squeezed to its absolute limit, nearly buckling under his exploitation. And he was merely at the fourth layer of the Golden Core realm. This made Luo Chen realize that when the time came for true Nascent Soul formation in the future, he had to secure a Tier 4 spiritual vein. Ordinary low-grade spiritual veins could not possibly bear the volume of spiritual energy a cultivator required to form a Nascent Soul. "What comes in the future can wait for the future. For now, I should walk the path beneath my feet one steady step at a time!" Luo Chen gave a soft chuckle and stepped out of the wooden cabin. Tianxuan had long been waiting outside. At her first glimpse of Luo Chen, her eyes lit up. That ethereal, pristine grace—wholly untainted by worldly dust—was something she had never witnessed on him before. Faintly, she seemed to understand something and promptly bowed in congratulation. "Congratulations, Master, on your advancement in Dao attainment, taking yet another step closer to the realm of a Real Person!" Luo Chen smiled and shook his head. The realm of a Real Person was not something easily attained. Shattering the core to form the nascent soul, condensing the soul, turning yin vacuity into yang reality. Only when the Three Flowers Gathered at the Crown and the Five Qis Converged at the Origin, harmonizing inside and out into unity, could one truly be called a "Real Person"! This had been the chief insight gained from his epiphany. The cultivation factors involved were staggering in number. This small step today was still far from the ultimate goal. Of course, without taking small steps, one could never reach a thousand li. To attain the realm of a Real Person required precisely this steady accumulation, bit by bit. Refreshed, Luo Chen raised his hand, summoning a white cloud and stepping onto it. Tianxuan's gaze sharpened. The color of this cloud? She remembered that her master primarily cultivated fire-attribute mana, and whenever he rode clouds, they were mostly crimson. Yet now? "Master, is this magical cloud of yours formed from water-attribute mana?" Luo Chen nodded and said casually, "Just a minor trick for converting mana, hardly worth mentioning." Though he spoke lightly, a touch of pride shone in his eyes. This, too, was a minor gain from that epiphany. Having comprehended the nature of power, converting it had become far more effortless than before. Ultimately, his crimson Golden Core was intrinsically a Five-Color Golden Core possessing all five elements. In the past, he had needed extra time to convert it beforehand, but now he could do so at will. Although the mana converted this way yielded only ordinary power when controlling magic treasures or casting spells, it at least compensated for some subtle techniques he had previously lacked. It could be considered an unexpected pleasant surprise. "Come up!" Filled with a trace of admiration, Tianxuan stepped onto the magical cloud and asked, "Master, where are we heading now?" "Others gave me peaches; though I cannot repay them with fine jade, proper etiquette must not be neglected." Luo Chen adjusted his headpiece and collar with a calm expression. "To Tianyuan Tower, to pay a visit to Real Person Fu." After this brief explanation, he channeled his mana, and the white cloud drifted upward, flying toward the central avenue of Feileng City. *** Luo Chen had claimed he could not repay with fine jade, but in truth, he had not held back on proper etiquette in the slightest. Not only did he prepare several distinctive specialties of the Flying Swallow Archipelago, but he also readied two portions of his signature Emperor's Flowing Syrup, and even gritted his teeth to take out a piece of his cherished millennium thunder essence! The value of such gifts was not inferior to the Yang-Returning Pill in the least—indeed, it surpassed it! Lately, because he had to attend the Feileng City Grand Auction, Fu Chaosheng had not entered seclusion and received word from his subordinates immediately. Looking upon the gifts presented to him, he was both shocked and enlightened. "It seems this lad not only knows how to conduct himself, but also clearly dislikes owing me a favor!" Toying with the piece of millennium thunder essence that radiated a dense power of thunder, Fu Chaosheng wore an intrigued expression. He had assumed that by offering a rare Yang-Returning Pill, the young man would be unable to repay it, ensuring that Luo Chen could not refuse if Fu Chaosheng ever needed him in the future. Now, it appeared the lad was someone who refused to stay indebted. The shopkeeper of Tianyuan Tower was a late Golden Core great cultivator named Shan Shubao, known outside by the Daoist title of Master Junbao. The title praised both his adroit management in running the southeastern branch of the Tianyuan Business Alliance flawlessly and his formidable strength capable of holding down an entire region. At this moment, he gazed with envy at the piece of millennium thunder essence in Fu Chaosheng's hand. "Elder, will you see Luo Hai?" Fu Chaosheng smiled faintly. "See him! Why wouldn't I? I have free time today anyway; meeting him won't hurt." As he spoke, he had already stowed the piece of millennium thunder essence into his storage pouch. How could he not see the yearning in Shan Shubao's eyes? Yet this was a rare treasure—even a Nascent Soul Real Person could never have too much of it. Shan Shubao gave a salute. "Then I will notify him to come up." Just as Shan Shubao was about to exit through the door, Fu Chaosheng called out to stop him, his lips moving silently. Shan Shubao froze for a moment, then nodded in understanding and walked out. *** Meeting Fu Chaosheng once more, on the seventh floor of Tianyuan Tower. Luo Chen wore a respectful expression, offering a courteous bow. Yet his demeanor remained composed, neither servile nor overbearing. After scrutinizing him, Fu Chaosheng nodded in satisfaction. "Indeed, you turned a misfortune into a blessing. Your Dao attainment has progressed considerably—even more than I imagined." "It was all thanks to Real Person's bestowed pill that this junior could reap such gains," Luo Chen replied sincerely. Fu Chaosheng shook his head. "Though the Yang-Returning Pill is precious, it only benefits those who have not yet formed a Nascent Soul. To this old man, it amounts to nothing much; it was originally kept to reward juniors." At that, he asked casually, "Did you come to Feileng City for the auction?" Luo Chen hummed in assent. "Indeed. The path of a rogue cultivator is arduous, and gathering supplies is far from easy. I can only rely on grand auctions of this scale to collect the resources I need while broadening my horizons. To that end, Junior has liquidated all the beast materials gathered from years in the outer sea." "Since you know the hardships of a rogue cultivator, why not consider joining a major faction to serve as your backing?" Luo Chen's eyes narrowed slightly, and instead of answering directly, he asked, "What kind of faction counts as a major faction?" Fu Chaosheng chuckled, listing them off familiarly. "Nearby, there is the Moluo Stream dominating its own territory; further away, there is the rising Penglai Immortal Sect—both are major factions overseen by late Nascent Soul great cultivators. If you feel those aren't secure enough, there is also the newly emerged Deity Transformation sacred ground, the Righteous Canghai Alliance. With a newly advanced Deity Transformation grand expert like Li Douliang presiding, even demon race powerhouses fear his might and dare not rashly invade the immortal islands of the Northern Sea. Of course, if you are undisciplined by nature and dislike restraint, there is also a rogue cultivator faction like the Myriad Immortals Association you could join. As long as you possess strength, you can thrive among them like a fish in water." The four overlords? Hearing the names of these major factions, Luo Chen gained a clearer picture of the Northern Sea cultivation world's current landscape. He humbly inquired, "In Real Person's view, what are the strengths and weaknesses of these factions?" The other man hailed from the Tianyuan Dao Sect, possessing an outlook that spanned the Five Provinces. In terms of perspective, Fu Chaosheng was bound to far surpass Luo Chen's own limited view. Fu Chaosheng pondered for a moment. "Having accepted such a grand gift from you, this old man might as well resolve your doubts!" With that, he expounded upon the general circumstances of the four great factions at length. The Moluo Stream hardly needed mention: its Twelve Stream Lords were each formidable, and most shared ties with the Yuan Demon Sect before its fall. When this faction was initially founded, its rallying cry was to revive the Yuan Demon Sect and restore the demonic path's glory in the Northern Sea. The so-called rising Penglai Immortal Sect was in fact not an upstart faction at all, but a top-tier Nascent Soul sect with thousands of years of heritage! The reason it was called a rising force was that it had previously been suppressed by the demon sect, forced to preach the Dao in the outer sea. Now that the demon sect had fallen, they took the opportunity to return to the inner domain, seeking to carve out their own dominion. The name of Penglai Immortal Island had long been renowned throughout the Northern Sea cultivation world. As for the Righteous Canghai Alliance, it absorbed countless cultivators inclined toward the righteous path and was overseen by an array dao grand expert, standing as the preeminent hegemon of the Northern Sea today. This was also the first time Luo Chen learned that the grand expert surnamed Li was named Li Douliang. As for the final one, the Myriad Immortals Association, Luo Chen knew very little about it. However, when Fu Chaosheng introduced this faction, he placed special emphasis on the Three Hermits who had founded it: The Blood Hermit, the Moon Hermit, and the Mad Hermit. These three were all powerful mid Nascent Soul cultivators possessing great divine abilities and formidable methods, capable of clashing on par with ordinary late Nascent Soul great cultivators. Furthermore, because the Myriad Immortals Association mostly took in rogue cultivators and posed no threat to others, no one had bothered to rein them in. Yet unexpectedly, over several decades, they had gradually grown into a formidable presence. There were even rumors that one among the Three Hermits had advanced to the late Nascent Soul stage, which allowed the Myriad Immortals Association to stand shoulder to shoulder with the other three factions. Luo Chen listened with a crowded mind, but his thoughts gradually cleared. "From what Real Person says, the Moluo Stream is divided into numerous factions with rampant infighting; if I join, I would inevitably get caught in the crossfire. The Penglai Immortal Sect is a monolithic bloc that refused to yield even when the Yuan Demon Sect held sway; an outsider like me would hardly find easy acceptance. The Canghai Alliance boasts the largest numbers, the grandest influence, and peerless top-tier experts, showing signs of replacing the Yuan Demon Sect as the new sacred ground of the Northern Sea. As for the Myriad Immortals Association, being an alliance of rogue cultivators, it lacks any true cohesion and is the weakest among the four great overlords, vulnerable to collapse at any moment." Fu Chaosheng chuckled. "You are quite sharp, deducing the ramifications of joining each one from their situations in such short order." "It is not that I am sharp, but rather that Real Person views the matter from such great heights; I merely echoed your insights." Luo Chen was modest, then asked sincerely, "In Real Person's view, which faction should I join?" Fu Chaosheng waved his hand. "You have analyzed it so well, so you must already lean toward one; why do you need my guidance? However, let me warn you: the tree that stands out above the forest will be battered by the wind! In particular, that Grand Expert Li cultivates in seclusion and never manages affairs. This so-called righteous alliance may well become yesterday's withered blooms." Luo Chen paused, taken aback. Earlier, he had indeed entertained the idea of clinging to the Canghai Alliance's coattails. Yet hearing the man's words now, the strongest party was conversely the most likely to fall. If so, he had to weigh his options carefully. He asked tentatively, "Real Person, what do you think of Blood Nightmare Moluo?" Fu Chaosheng shot Luo Chen a surprised glance. "You have past ties with him?" "Hardly past ties, but he did attempt to recruit me earlier," Luo Chen answered truthfully. Hearing this, Fu Chaosheng looked astonished, his shrewd eyes studying Luo Chen up and down. Finally, he gave his verdict: "If you have no ties to the Yuan Demon Sect, do not join his banner—the man is a hypocrite." "And if you are a disciple of the Yuan Demon Sect, you should avoid him all the more, or your life will be forfeit!" Luo Chen shuddered in shock. "How could that be..." He wanted to press further, but Fu Chaosheng clearly felt he had said enough and offered no further explanation. Luo Chen's expression fluctuated, but ultimately he felt fortunate that he had decided against visiting Blood Nightmare Moluo directly. Regardless of anything else, compared to Blood Nightmare Moluo, he placed far more trust in Fu Chaosheng, who hailed from the Tianyuan Dao Sect and enjoyed an impeccable reputation. Finally, he said tentatively, "Actually, in my view, none of these four overlords can truly count as the pinnacle factions. In today's Mountain and Sea Realm, the strongest force remains the Tianyuan Dao Sect!" Fu Chaosheng looked at him with a beaming smile, offering no reply. Luo Chen sighed helplessly. "This junior overthought things." What Luo Chen had in mind was not particularly convoluted: he feared contact with sacred grounds, terrified that his past deeds of refining pills for demons might be exposed. Yet he also longed for contact with sacred grounds to put that affair behind him, so he could walk openly under the sun and perhaps find an opportunity to return to the Eastern Desolation. This contradictory mindset had prompted his probing. Yet evidently, as a roving elder, Fu Chaosheng either did not regard him highly enough or was bound by constraints that prevented him from making promises. This snuffed out the rest of Luo Chen's nascent ideas before they could even form. With things as they stood, where should he go from here? He could not join the Moluo Stream; the Canghai Alliance was bound to fade like yesterday's withered blooms; that left only the Penglai Immortal Sect and the Myriad Immortals Association. Or perhaps he would truly remain a pure rogue cultivator, drifting like duckweed without any anchor. While he was lost in bewilderment, a knock sounded at the door outside. Shan Shubao, the shopkeeper of Tianyuan Tower, entered holding a plantain fan in his hands.