Do You Truly Seek Death?

Peng Island was vast, cloaked in lush woods and circled by wheeling waterbirds. Even after Luo Chen moved in, it retained its pristine natural charm, as he had only erected a few palaces upon it. Aside from the Constellation Palace where he lived and cultivated, and the private residence where Tianxuan dwelt, he had merely built one additional hall: Qingyang Hall. This side hall served as the workshop where Luo Chen performed his daily alchemy and artifact crafting. At this moment, within Qingyang Hall, the Hunyuan Cauldron stood prominently in the center, engulfed in blazing source true fire. Clad in black robes, Luo Chen watched the great cauldron with intense focus. Hand seals flowed continuously from his fingers as one basic mineral after another flew into the flames like streaks of light. "Choosing the Hunyuan Cauldron as my natal magic treasure back then was truly the right decision." "Not only can it be used for alchemy, but it can even be used to forge artifacts. It has saved me a tremendous amount of effort in gathering auxiliary crafting tools." Luo Chen murmured with emotion, his entire mind devoted to monitoring the reactions of the minerals within the cauldron. Suddenly, his brow furrowed. Reaching out with a beckoning motion, he drew a palm-sized golden stone out from the cauldron. "Was this piece of Meteor Stone not properly processed?" "I knew it—cheap goods never come good." After grumbling under his breath, Luo Chen tossed the Meteor Stone into the Wither-Bloom Fire, calcining it with extreme heat. After about half an incense stick's time, he summoned the Meteor Stone back out, letting it land upon a massive stone block in Qingyang Hall. Then, with a flick of his wrist, a small hammer appeared in his palm. It was precisely the Flowing Fire Hammer he had obtained from the Baizao Mountain Golden Core cultivator. This fire-attribute offensive magic treasure was not of high grade, merely at the low grade, but it served as an exceptional conduit for fire-attribute magic power. After erasing its former owner's divine sense imprint, Luo Chen had refined it a bit to serve as an alternative to the Profound Fire Sword. In actual combat, its offensive might was fairly mediocre, largely because its flight speed was too slow to easily strike an enemy. During artifact crafting, however, it shone with brilliant utility. With the small hammer in hand, Luo Chen shed his black robe, revealing a torso of knotted, sinewy muscle. As the muscles in his arm rippled, Luo Chen swung the Flowing Fire Hammer, striking the Meteor Stone blow after blow. Amid showering sparks, the impurities within the Meteor Stone grew fewer and fewer. Simultaneously, the proficiency of his crafting art—the Flowing Fire Hammer Technique—crept steadily upward on his attribute panel. "Why do I feel that after a few more years, once my Flowing Fire Hammer Technique reaches grand accomplishment, my control over this magic treasure will surpass that of its original master?" The path of artifact crafting was intensely draining on magic power. To Luo Chen, it even felt more cumbersome than concocting pills. Yet it was not without its benefits. At the very least, when crafting high-grade magical artifacts, hammering minerals day after day provided exceptional conditioning for his physical body. The medicinal potency of the Tier 4 Black Emperor Paste was simply too overwhelming! Even by continuously cycling his perfected Convergence of Myriad Paths while tempering his body with the Wither-Bloom Fire, Luo Chen could not flawlessly assimilate the paste. Yet through high-intensity crafting, he discovered that his body was gradually absorbing the residual paste locked within his flesh, accelerating his body refinement at an unprecedented pace. It was precisely after realizing this benefit that Luo Chen had increased his forging frequency over these years, yielding an ever-greater output of magical artifacts. Since it killed two birds with one stone, why wouldn't he do it? Hammer shadows flew, sparks raining down like a deluge. Clang! As the final hammer strike landed, Luo Chen looked at the Meteor Stone, which had shrunk by a third of its original volume, and broke into a satisfied smile. "With this quality, it can finally be used to forge the Deep Blue Profound Armor." If any renowned craftsman had been present, they might have been puzzled by his mention of the "Deep Blue Profound Armor." Was that not a Tier 3 defensive formation? How had it become the name of a magical artifact or magic treasure? In truth, Luo Chen was merely being clever with his naming. The Penglai Immortal Sect's defensive magic treasure crafting method provided by Yu Gao combined ancient artifact-refining arts with contemporary mainstream methods. It presented numerous difficulties, ranging from the procurement of materials to the exacting demands on crafting technique. Over the years, Luo Chen had been trying to conquer each obstacle one by one. Though he could not directly refine the Demon Emperor remains just yet, he could experiment on the finer details of the Penglai magic treasure piece by piece. Luo Chen believed that as long as he perfected every single element beforehand, his success rate would rise dramatically when he finally took on the Demon Emperor remains! Among all those complex hurdles, the hardest lay in a Tier 4 formation required to be set into the treasure! Its name was the Two Instruments Six Jia Formation! When Luo Chen had first seen it, he had cursed aloud. What kind of magic treasure needed a Tier 4 formation engraved upon it? It wasn't as if he were forging the Hunyuan Cauldron! Yet through extensive study over these years, he had discovered a hidden truth behind the Two Instruments Six Jia Formation. Though classified as Tier 4, it was actually a combination of seven Tier 3 formations. Its core was the Two Instruments Formation, which was relatively simple—be it yin and yang, heaven and earth, odd and even, or hardness and softness. Dark earth and celestial firmament could form Two Instruments, just as clear and turbid, water and fire could. In short, by capturing contrasting principles, a formation imbued with the true intent of Two Instruments could be established. Han Zhan was thoroughly versed in this! Naturally, Luo Chen had mastered it with ease. The real difficulty lay in the so-called Six Jia! Six sets of Tier 3 defensive formations. The Deep Blue Profound Armor Formation was one of them—a famed water-attribute defensive array among Tier 3 formations. In addition, there were the Bright Yellow Rock Armor Formation, the Yimu Green Armor Formation, and others. Every single one was an exceptional Tier 3 defensive array, extraordinarily difficult for ordinary cultivators to learn. By comparison, the Deep Blue Profound Armor Formation was already the simplest of the lot. Through his studies over the years, Luo Chen had already gained rudimentary mastery. What he intended to do now was to craft a defensive magic treasure according to Penglai's method! While he could not directly engrave the full Two Instruments Six Jia Formation, he planned to lay down one of its components, the Deep Blue Profound Armor Formation, upon it. By employing the same refining method alongside a portion of the formations and materials, he could forge an analogous treasure. Even if it failed, the cost would not be high, and if it succeeded, he would accumulate invaluable experience. Such was Luo Chen's true plan. Just as Luo Chen was inspecting the Meteor Stone, his brow suddenly twitched. Turning around, he looked toward the shore of Penghu Lake. "The unwelcome guests have finally arrived!" *** The Dragon Taming Mountain Range was immense, stretching unbroken for ten thousand li. Ancient legends held that it was the eternal resting place of a fallen primordial beast. For that very reason, it had become the headquarters of the Myriad Immortals Association, home to countless rogue cultivators living in seclusion. Within the mountain range, peaks rolled and ravines crisscrossed. There were towering ancient forests, as well as cascading waterfalls and mountain streams. Broad rivers and great lakes wound through the land, and beasts and fowl were common sights. Had the terrain not been remote and formerly close to the Yuan Demon Sect—deterring any other power from laying claim to it—how could the Myriad Immortals Association have acquired such a prize? The Eight-Hundred-Li Penghu Lake was a southern spiritual ground within the Dragon Taming Mountain Range. For a long time, this spiritual land had enjoyed great renown within the Myriad Immortals Association, well known to many. The primary reason was its awkward predicament. It contained several Tier 3 spiritual veins alongside over twenty Tier 2 veins, making it a dream cultivation ground for ordinary Golden Core and Foundation Establishment cultivators. Yet, the Myriad Immortals Association refused to lease the veins individually! Its rental price differed little from that of a top-grade Tier 3 immortal's cave. Consequently, ordinary Golden Core cultivators would never make it their first choice. And those wealthy Golden Core cultivators had even less reason to select this place for long-term cultivation. It was not that they could not afford it, but that it lacked cost-effectiveness. After all, not everyone possessed Luo Chen's ability to lay down formations and elevate the spiritual veins' grade to the top tier. For these reasons, the Eight-Hundred-Li Penghu Lake had remained vacant all these years. Until the legendary Demonic Lord Qingyang moved in! And today, an uninvited crowd had descended upon the lake. In the sky, a resplendent cloud boat slowly descended, its massive displaced air currents stirring the lake waters into surging, backward-rolling waves. The Qi Refining cultivator stationed at Fengbo Pavilion on the lakeshore grew visibly nervous and stepped forward with utmost caution to make an inquiry. "May I ask Senior's honored name? Do you carry a calling card, so that this junior may inform Master Qingyangzi?" He made no mention of the Cailian Island Zhang clan. Anyone could see that a cloud boat of magic treasure caliber belonged to a master who would never lower himself to visit a mere Foundation Establishment family. The overwhelming likelihood was that they had come for the master of Penghu Lake, Master Qingyangzi. Just like Cave Master Moyun not long ago. Upon the cloud boat, numerous Foundation Establishment figures stood close together, numbering over a hundred. Their expressions were cold and aloof, showing no intention of answering a Zhang clan Qi Refining cultivator. Suddenly, the crowd parted, clearing a central path. Seven figures slowly emerged. Old and young, male and female. Every single one radiated powerful spiritual pressure. The cultivator at Fengbo Pavilion swallowed hard, his legs trembling so violently he could barely remain upright. Seven Golden Core cultivators! The leader wore purple robes, with a broad, noble forehead and eyes that gleamed with radiant spirit. He cast a glance at the Qi Refining cultivator and nodded toward an elder beside him. Without hesitation, the elder flicked his hand, sending an object flying straight into the Qi Refining cultivator's grasp. "This is my lord's calling card!" "Junior, report to your master at once, lest you delay my lord's great affairs." Hearing this, although the Qi Refining cultivator remained nervous, he breathed a sigh of relief. At least they had not barged in by force. Holding the card, he entered the pavilion, placed it upon a stone pedestal, and inserted a spirit stone. In an instant, spiritual light flared. The golden calling card hovered gently within the glow, only settling down after several moments. On the cloud boat by the lakeshore, the seven Golden Core cultivators were conversing. "My lord, this master of Penghu Lake is quite petty. The cultivator guarding his gates is merely at the Qi Refining stage; he cannot even put forward a Foundation Establishment cultivator." "Truly laughable! Any Golden Core faction worth its salt should at least have a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator guarding its doors." Though seven people stood together, only two were speaking much—both elderly men of venerable years. Every sentence out of their mouths addressed the purple-robed man as "My Lord." As for the others, while they smiled and chatted pleasantly, they addressed the purple-robed man as "Fellow Daoist," "Brother Daoist," or "Brother Huangfu." Huangfu Song watched the scene with a smile on his face. "Such a blessed land belongs to whoever is fated to hold it. For a lone wanderer like Qingyangzi to occupy this place is truly a waste." However, when his divine sense detected the formation fluctuations within the pavilion, his brow twitched slightly. "This formation is somewhat intriguing. It resembles the beacon towers of our Great Zhou of old, yet it possesses a novel ingenuity that transmits the message written on the calling card." Someone nearby overheard and offered his own observation. "I hear the master of Penghu Lake is a master craftsman, adept in forging magical artifacts. Crafting and formations rarely part ways; individuals of that caliber often double as array masters. Perhaps this is merely a low-grade formation of his own modification!" Huangfu Song curled his lip slightly, offering no reply. The black-robed elder beside him scoffed in disdain. "You have been deceived. That Qingyangzi merely holds a bit of fame among low-grade rogue cultivators. His true ability extends no further than forging high-grade magical artifacts. Anyone among our peers, willing to put in the effort over a century or so, could achieve such attainments. What right does he have to be called a master craftsman?" The others smiled and nodded, though few echoed the sentiment too strongly. Instead, someone pointed into the distance. In the misty expanse between the rolling mountains and drifting white clouds, streaks of light rose and fell as onlookers watched the scene from afar. Huangfu Song felt an inner flash of irritation. These Golden Core cultivators he had recruited were mostly coveting the Great Zhou's methods of Nascent Soul formation, possessing not an ounce of true loyalty. The only ones he could genuinely rely on were his two veteran retainers. Yet on the other hand, he felt secret delight. Flying so deliberately and ostentatiously to Penghu Lake, drawing out numerous secluded rogue cultivators from across the Dragon Taming Mountain Range to watch the spectacle, suited his plans perfectly. With more onlookers present, it would be far easier to negotiate terms with Qingyangzi. Even if talks broke down, exchanging blows under everyone's gaze would leave the other party no room for excuses once defeated. High-level cultivators, after all, valued their dignity. *** Among the peaks, many rogue cultivators who had caught wind of the commotion gathered in small groups, gazing at the cloud boat by the great lake and discussing the matter in hushed tones. "What are they trying to do? Fight? If they're going to fight, why haven't they started? Why wait so obediently?" "If they aren't fighting, they must be visiting." "Who visits someone with their entire retinue in tow? Seven Golden Cores and over a hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators—with a force like that, I'd believe you if you said they were here to raze a mountain and exterminate a sect." "True enough. I heard from the cultivators at Moyun Cave that when Cave Master Moyun visited Master Qingyangzi, he traveled light, bringing only a few attendant maidservants." "So, courtesy before force?" "Most likely." While low-level cultivators gathered in clusters, high-level cultivators had their own circles. In truth, Huangfu Song had chosen an opportune moment. Recently, several active Golden Core rogue cultivators had organized a private gathering for exchange. Hearing the commotion today, they had traveled together to watch the excitement. At this moment, several Golden Cores stood upon a peak, gazing out over the clear waters of Penghu Lake. "That Huangfu Song is rumored to carry the imperial bloodline of the Great Zhou. Back then, the Yuan Demon Sect merely meted out a minor punishment, destroying the Great Zhou Dynasty without cutting down its roots, allowing these remnants to build up their strength." "Now it seems he wishes to claim the spiritual land of Penghu to stage a comeback!" "Fellow Daoist has keen insight!" "Haha, what keen insight? This news has circulated for years. I thought Huangfu Song would choose the Hundred Ghosts Cave in the Dragon Taming Mountain Range, but I never expected he would set his sights on the Eight-Hundred-Li Penghu Lake." "Then there is something you don't know. Ghost Spirit Child, one of the three esteemed masters of the Demon Hunting Department, deems himself unlikely to advance to the Nascent Soul stage and intends to establish a clan to branch out and pass down his bloodline. The Hundred Ghosts Cave is the territory he reserved, and he has already been making quiet preparations there for years." Over the years, the Demon Hunting Department had produced only three Eight-Star Demon Hunters, all at the ninth layer of Golden Core. They were Old Fisherman, Purple Empress, and Ghost Spirit Child. Upon attaining the rank of Eight-Star Demon Hunter, these three had taken hold of the department's executive authority, rarely undertaking missions themselves. The title "Lord" was an honorific bestowed upon the trio. Upon learning that Ghost Spirit Child had laid claim to the Hundred Ghosts Cave, the Golden Core cultivator came to a sudden realization. The Dragon Taming Mountain Range possessed scattered spiritual veins and countless small spiritual grounds, including many of high grade. Yet massive spiritual lands like the Hundred Ghosts Cave and Penghu Lake were few and far between. Over the years, they had come to realize that such lands were prepared by the Myriad Immortals Association for rogue cultivators intent on establishing factions. Evidently, Huangfu Song had targeted Qingyangzi because the man was a "lone wanderer." "Tell me, if things get out of hand, will the Demon Hunting Department intervene?" "Haha, who knows? Perhaps those three lords are already watching from the shadows." As the group chatted idly, someone suddenly turned toward a man in the corner whose face held an unnatural pallor. "Fellow Daoist Duan Li, I recall you joined the association around the same time as Qingyangzi, didn't you?" Duan Li nodded with a somewhat unnatural expression. He had joined this private gathering of rogue cultivators seeking a cure for his internal injuries, yet halfway through, everyone had rushed out to watch a spectacle. Even more unexpected was that one of the figures at the center of the spectacle was Qingyangzi, someone he knew personally. Yet upon careful consideration, this was entirely expected. How many people had coveted the Eight-Hundred-Li Penghu Lake? As early as when he learned Luo Chen had chosen this place, Duan Li had anticipated such a day might come, and had even tried to dissuade him. Luo Chen had insisted on his course, and this day had finally arrived. He sighed softly. "I did indeed join the association alongside Qingyangzi, and we have kept in touch privately over the years." The man beside him chuckled. "Then if he can't hold out in a moment, will you help him?" Duan Li froze, his mouth parting, but for a long while, he could not utter a single word. *** Cailian Island. As a large island within the Eight-Hundred-Li Penghu Lake boasting a medium-sized Tier 2 spiritual vein, it sat not in the center of the lake, but closer to the shore. Thus, they were the first to notice the cloud boat's arrival. Holding his daughter Qingqing, Zhang Jiadi watched the scene with a solemn, worried expression. Behind him stood rogue cultivators who had joined the Zhang clan over the years. A so-called cultivation family could not be built overnight. Among these people, some were maternal relatives from his wife Wen Xiu's family, but most were impoverished, solitary rogue cultivators. To find shelter beneath a great tree and secure a spiritual land for cultivation, they had willingly joined the Zhang clan to serve at its behest. Perhaps a century later, once the Zhang clan's own bloodline flourished, these outsiders would be gradually marginalized, but for now, they remained the clan's core strength. At this moment, muttering voices rose behind him, rife with anxiety and despair. The buzzing sounded like mosquitoes, irritating the nerves. Zhang Jiadi whipped around, glaring fiercely at them. The aura of a late Foundation Establishment cultivator erupted instantly. "Silence!" The crowd shuddered. Over the years, Zhang Jiadi had been mild-mannered and gentle, far less strict than Wen Xiu, so much so that they had nearly forgotten that the family head possessed the highest cultivation in the clan. Zhang Jiadi's gaze burned like torches as it swept across the ranks. "A great battle may soon erupt, where life and death hang on a single breath. My Zhang clan is a vassal of Master Qingyang, and we shall naturally advance and retreat together!" "I do not wish to hear another demoralizing word." "Anyone who disobeys shall be executed! Anyone who flees before the battle shall likewise be executed!" Those harboring ulterior motives turned pale. Some wanted to urge caution, but before the words could leave their lips, seeing Zhang Jiadi's darkened countenance, they swallowed them right back down. Zhang Jiadi took a deep breath, feeling surprisingly little panic in his heart. Having inquired extensively into the details of the battle of Lengguang Island, his reverence for Master Qingyang had long penetrated deep into his marrow. What were a mere seven Golden Core cultivators? During the battle of Lengguang Island, the enemies Demonic Lord Qingyang faced far exceeded that number. Moreover, there was an even more critical reason: he had long staked his entire livelihood on Cailian Island. If Master Qingyang were truly driven away, where would he go? Revert to being a rogue cultivator? He himself might not mind, but what of his wife and daughter? For all these reasons, after the initial shock, he had made up his mind in an instant. In this battle, he would advance and retreat alongside Master Qingyang, sharing life and death! *** Regardless of the reactions from various quarters, on the cloud boat by the shore of Penghu Lake, the cultivators accompanying Huangfu Song had gradually ceased their chatter. Every face grew increasingly solemn. This was because Peng Island had sent no reply whatsoever. Huangfu Song took a step forward, standing at the prow against the wind. "I had hoped to resolve this matter peacefully, yet I never expected the master of this place would refuse to even meet or speak." "Since that is the case, let our strengths decide!" With a broad wave of his sleeve, the cloud boat rumbled to life, soaring into Penghu Lake like a floating landmass that blotted out the sky. Initially, the cloud boat flew with great speed. Gradually, however, its pace slowed. An invisible drag settled over the vessel. Not only that, but a powerful downward pull welled up from the lake waters, dragging the cloud boat lower and lower. "Elder Ye, what is happening?" Huangfu Song asked the black-robed elder beside him, who had once served as the Grand Astrologer of the Great Zhou Dynasty's Astronomical Bureau and was thoroughly proficient in formations. Elder Ye looked calm. "It is a flight-restriction formation, the sort deployed in large market towns and major immortal cities. Our treasure-grade cloud boat should not be affected." He then cast a suspicious glance down toward the lake. "However, concealed within this flight-restriction formation is another array, which is precisely what is retarding the vessel's speed and dragging its altitude downward." His fingers twitched continuously as he formed seals, attempting to deduce the operational principles of the hidden array. Moments later, he shook his head. "No, there isn't enough time. The master of this place prepared thoroughly; I cannot unravel it in short order." The gray-robed elder beside them rasped in a sharp, high-pitched voice, "If that is so, let us force our way across Penghu Lake!" Huangfu Song nodded. "We shall do as Duke Gui says." The next instant, the hundred-plus Foundation Establishment cultivators on the boat sat cross-legged in unison, channeling their spiritual power into the cloud boat along predetermined formation lines. Instantly, the vessel shuddered violently, and its speed surged once more. Seeing this, Huangfu Song smiled. "A mere few hundred li can be crossed in the blink of an eye. Qingyangzi, I hope you do not disappoint me when the time comes!" Just as he was reveling in his confidence, a sudden change occurred! From the Eight-Hundred-Li Penghu Lake, a colossal volume of worldly spiritual energy surged forth. It condensed into eight colossal chains that bound the cloud boat tight. A surging, terrifying force bore down upon it instantly. "How can this be?" Elder Ye's expression changed dramatically. The combined strength of over a hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators, coupled with the cloud boat's array, should have been difficult to stop even for a Golden Core cultivator, let alone a standard flight-restriction formation. Yet as the cloud boat plummeted toward the water, he had no time to ponder. "My lord, abandon the boat!" Huangfu Song's triumphant smile had long vanished as he looked at the Foundation Establishment cultivators stumbling and swaying upon the deck. "What about them?" Under the suppression of such an array, no one below the Golden Core stage could take flight. "We can't worry about them! Unless Qingyangzi wishes to forge an irreconcilable blood feud with us, he won't slaughter them!" Elder Ye shouted urgently. Huangfu Song hesitated, but seeing the cloud boat on the verge of plunging into the water, he finally made his resolve. "Follow me out!" In an instant, his seventh-layer Golden Core spiritual pressure erupted, surging straight into the firmament. Behind him, the six Golden Core cultivators followed in close succession. Though the formation's power continued to press down upon them, their combined strength was enough to tear through the air and take flight. On an isolated islet within the Eight-Hundred-Li Penghu Lake, a black piece of wood floated gently. Sensing this development, a faint scoff emanated from within it. "Brat Luo Chen, handle the rest yourself!" Over these years, Luo Chen had fleeced him far too thoroughly—first the Origin Core secret art, then the Nascent Soul Formation Pill formula, followed by his Soul Nourishing Wood cultivation techniques and even the spiritual vein elevation method bestowed by the Mingyuan Sect. Not to mention endless knowledge of formations and lore of the cultivation world. Han Zhan was no hired thug. Neutralizing these small fry on his behalf was already an act of immense benevolence. Seven mere Golden Cores—one late Golden Core, two mid Golden Cores, and four early Golden Cores. Given Luo Chen's current foundation, he could easily handle them. More importantly, another Nascent Soul cultivator lived in seclusion within this Dragon Taming Mountain Range, and Han Zhan had no wish to expose too much. *** Ascending higher and higher, the seven figures finally broke free from the formation's suppression, their faces marked by lingering dread. Truly, storming another cultivator's mountain gate was no simple task. Before they had even laid eyes on their quarry, they had nearly suffered complete disaster. The danger was appalling. They could feel that the formation's full might had not even been unleashed. Had it erupted completely, at least one or two of the seven would have fallen. Just as the seven stabilized their footing in the sky, a voice abruptly pierced the air: "Do you truly seek death?"