A fight to the death!
Those four words were easy to say, but in truth, how many would ever take that step unless pushed to the absolute brink?
When disciples from prominent sects or clan cultivators ventured out to travel, their elders would bestow numerous protective arts upon them, precisely to keep promising young talents from ever reaching that desperate pass.
In comparison, rogue cultivators treasured their lives even more dearly.
For unlike sect and clan cultivators who sheltered beneath towering trees, everything a rogue cultivator possessed was won through blood, sweat, and several times the effort.
Once a life-and-death clash began, the loser would lose everything—all their striving swept away like water down a drain, or worse, becoming a stepping stone for someone else.
As a descendant of the Great Zhou imperial clan, Huangfu Song had lived a life of luxury since childhood.
Even after catastrophe struck and he fled into exile in the Northern Sea, reduced to a rogue cultivator, he still had the backing of men like Duke Gui and Elder Ye, and even the protection of a late-stage Golden Core grand cultivator like Empress Zi.
To risk his very life merely over the eight hundred li of Penghu was a bargain he was loath to strike.
Luo Chen was his exact opposite.
In his youth, he had to budget meticulously for the meagerest scraps of cultivation resources, squeezing out spirit stones coin by coin from between his teeth.
In every fight, unless caught unawares by a sudden eruption, he planned as far ahead as possible.
Yet even then, he was rarely careless. When he struck, he almost always struck with everything he had.
Just like years ago in the Battle of Mount Xiaohuan, when he wiped out the Duan family: lurking behind the scenes, he unleashed a Grand Perfection Fireball Art built to its absolute limit with his very first strike.
Or in the recent battle on Lengguang Island: besieged by multiple foes despite having laid formations in advance, he activated the Heavenly Roc Transformation without a second thought, displaying his peak might right from the outset, never dreaming of saving his best moves for the end.
A trump card was only a trump card when played.
If you died, those trump cards belonged to someone else!
Hearing Luo Chen's intimidating words and sensing his steadily surging spiritual pressure, Huangfu Song released the immense spiritual pressure of his own seventh-layer Golden Core realm.
Suppressing the rage in his heart as best he could, he tried to persuade him: "Qingyangzi, why must we take up arms so drastically? When I submitted my calling card, it was with the intention of resolving this dispute peacefully."
Luo Chen gave a cold sneer. "Then when I did not reply and shut my door in your face, why did you force your way into my dao arena?"
Huangfu Song choked for a moment, then answered, "It is simply that this eight hundred li of Penghu is of great use to me. You, on the other hand, are all alon—er, have only a few retainers and spirit pets. Would it not be just as well to exchange it for another Tier 3 low-grade spiritual ground?"
"Heh. Your cultivation at the seventh layer of the Golden Core is plain for all to see. A mere low-grade spiritual ground could hardly aid your cultivation much. Why insist on forcing it?"
Questions met with questions, nothing but suspicion and challenge.
Luo Chen's attitude was far too unyielding.
At the same time, shock rippled through Huangfu Song's heart.
He had already expanded his spiritual pressure to the absolute limit. By all rights, it should have exerted an overwhelming aura suppression against any cultivator below the seventh layer of Golden Core.
Yet Qingyangzi's fifth-layer Golden Core spiritual pressure held its ground against his own without ceding an inch.
In fact, as it steadily climbed, there was even a faint intent to counterattack.
Was this man truly only at the fifth layer of the Golden Core?
Steadying his nerves, Huangfu Song tried to remain calm, yet a touch of impatience seeped into his next words.
"What will it take for you to yield this eight-hundred-li Penghu?"
Negotiating terms?
A mocking smile touched Luo Chen's lips, and he slowly shook his head, uttering just two words:
"I won't!"
As the words fell, his outward-surging spiritual pressure reached its absolute zenith.
In the open air, the two forces of magical power collided.
The result was Huangfu Song shuddering violently, his stance wavering for a fraction of an instant.
Luo Chen, on the other hand, stood as firm as Mount Tai, completely unmoving.
Seeing this, the six Golden Core cultivators behind Huangfu Song turned pale with fright.
They knew all too well what this signified.
The purity and vigor of Luo Chen's magical power exceeded even that of seventh-layer Golden Core Huangfu Song. Even if by only a sliver, it still surpassed him!
At this moment, Huangfu Song's face turned utterly grim.
Ever since Luo Chen appeared, a single palm strike had forced him to exhaust a defensive trump, their battle of words had conceded not a single step, and now he had even been bested in a clash of spiritual pressure.
All of this had completely exceeded his expectations.
Even if he felt confident that his own hidden cards would give him victory in a direct duel, rumors spoke of Demonic Lord Qingyang's methods being extraordinarily lethal. If a clash truly escalated to the point where they had to exhaust their ultimate trump cards, the losses would far outweigh any gains.
Yet right now, under the watchful eyes of thousands, Huangfu Song was riding a tiger and found it impossible to dismount.
Perhaps... that move would be best?
Lowering his head, he tucked his right hand behind his back, fingers subtly pinching an incantation gesture.
Suddenly, Huangfu Song boomed:
"Demonic Lord Qingyang, all under heaven belongs to the king! Why cling desperately to a mere eight hundred li of Penghu?"
Luo Chen furrowed his brow and replied, "Though Penghu is small, I have tended it for years. To give it up so easily would hardly be... Huh?"
Mid-sentence, Luo Chen's expression abruptly shifted.
A faint halo of black light flashed across his body and vanished.
Inside his body, the Lanke Black Chess Piece vibrated faintly, as though it had come under attack.
'A soul-daunting art that bewitches the mind? Or one of those word-spirit curse slaying arts the Yuan Demon Sect is said to wield?'
While Luo Chen weighed this in his mind, Huangfu Song stared intently at him, refusing to miss the slightest change in his expression.
When Luo Chen spoke those words, the great weight in Huangfu Song's heart had nearly dropped.
Not giving it up easily meant there were terms to discuss!
Sure enough, the imperial secret art he had cultivated was effective, capable of subtly undermining an enemy's resolve through conversational speech.
Yet the moment Luo Chen let slip that soft exclamation, Huangfu Song sensed something amiss.
'Not only is this Qingyangzi's magical power equal to mine, but his soul foundation is actually formidable enough to resist my imperial voice and snap out of it so quickly!'
'No, I must strike with a few more words to break his will. Then, whether we negotiate or fight, the initiative will be mine.'
Just as Huangfu Song opened his mouth to speak again, his body suddenly froze.
He met Luo Chen's gaze.
Profound as an abyss, cold as ice.
In a daze, illusions seemed to manifest within his sea of consciousness.
'An illusion!'
A wisp of purple light emerged from his chest, shielding him from Luo Chen's gaze.
Huangfu Song relaxed slightly. Fortunately, he carried a magic treasure left behind by his ancestor, capable of resisting illusions from anyone below the Nascent Soul stage.
Such a superficial soul attack was nothing more than cheap sleight-of-hand before that treasure.
Yet the illusion in his sea of consciousness suddenly shifted.
Magnificent jade pavilions and towering palaces seemed to hang high in the sky, wreathed in immortal mist and drifting clouds.
Celestial maidens draped in gauzy silks and fluttering sleeves sang softly and danced gracefully.
Immortals in tall caps and broad sashes gently waved feather fans, strolling to and fro in cheerful conversation.
Yet as these seemingly celestial maidens and immortals flew down from the towering pavilions, they transformed into ghastly wraiths and vengeful spirits, lunging straight toward him!
Looking closely, how were those pavilions an immortal paradise? They were clearly towers of ghosts and crypts of the dead!
*Sssst—*
The purple light blazed brightly, surging into his sea of consciousness to violently scatter the illusions.
Huangfu Song jerked violently, waking from the hallucination.
Inside the illusion, it felt as though an eternity had passed, but in reality, it had merely been a single exchange of glances, a fleeting instant.
Cold sweat drenched his back. Huangfu Song instinctively averted his eyes from Luo Chen.
By his ear, Luo Chen's calm voice rang out:
"Fellow Daoist Huangfu, please see yourself out."
Huangfu Song opened his mouth, but for a long time, not a word would come.
Evidently, in that single instant, his Soul-Suppressing Imperial Voice had failed to intimidate his opponent; instead, the other man's illusion had stirred turmoil in his mind, nearly causing him to lose his senses entirely.
Had it not been for the measure left by his Nascent Soul ancestor before passing away, he feared he would have already been slain a thousand times over in that very breath.
A sliver of fear welled up within him.
He feared the lingering specters haunting his memories, and he feared Demonic Lord Qingyang's inexhaustible arsenal of tricks.
Subconsciously, he turned around.
"Let us go."
"Master, what are you saying?"
Huangfu Song started. Faced with Elder Ye's astonished question, he instinctively shook his head.
"No, I..."
"Fellow Daoist Huangfu, the weather is foul today, so I shall not see you off. Please leave!"
This time, Luo Chen's voice was colder still.
Clearly, his restraint was stretched to its absolute limit; one more delay, and blades would be drawn.
A volcano on the verge of erupting!
A strained, unsightly smile appeared on Huangfu Song's face. "Forgive the intrusion."
With that, ignoring the dissatisfaction of Elder Ye and Duke Gui, he departed with the four Golden Core cultivators under his command.
As they left, he continued to explain himself to the two old retainers:
arguing that their own faction was divided, that Demonic Lord Qingyang was troublesome, that Penghu's spiritual land was merely mediocre, and that far better grounds awaited in the Dragon Taming Mountain Range.
Outsiders had no inkling of the clash that had transpired between him and Luo Chen in that brief breath, and took his words with half-belief and half-doubt.
Yet the two old retainers, intimately acquainted with their young master's temperament, sighed incessantly in their hearts.
Sometimes, taking a step back did not open up boundless skies—it plunged one into the abyss of eternal damnation!
Had the master truly grasped the gravity of the situation?
Once they reached the lakeside, Zhang Jiadi led men out to return the cloud boat and the more than one hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators suppressed by the formation—all unharmed—whereupon Huangfu Song and his party scurried away from Penghu in disgrace.
The onlookers could only feel thoroughly frustrated.
Where was the great battle they had promised?
Where was the duel, the fight to the death?
The show had barely begun, and it ended before the curtain even truly rose?
Luo Chen, the center of it all, watched Huangfu Song and his retinue depart with cold eyes.
Once they were far away, Tianxuan could not help asking, "Master, those foes were so insolent. Are we truly letting them leave?"
Her true meaning was that Luo Chen had always been decisive and ruthless—how could he tolerate such blatant provocation?
It did not match her impression of him.
To this, Luo Chen merely lifted his gaze slightly.
"Cultivating under the Myriad Immortals Association, one must still show respect to certain individuals."
In the direction he looked, there was only drifting white cloud, yet it felt as if he were exchanging glances with someone.
Tianxuan grew thoughtful and quickly understood whom Luo Chen was wary of.
She also realized that today's unyielding Luo Chen had in fact exercised restraint all along. Otherwise, by his usual habits, he never would have tolerated such provocation.
Still, Tianxuan harbored some worry.
While on the surface her master had forced Huangfu Song and his retinue to retreat under the watchful eyes of thousands, bolstering his renown, to offend a late-stage Golden Core enemy and simply let him walk away...
"What if they retaliate later? Huangfu Song is, after all, a grand cultivator of the seventh layer of the Golden Core!"
"*Chuckle...*"
The scoff was completely undisguised.
Even Duan Li, standing quietly by the side, found it utterly unbelievable. Since when were grand cultivators treated with such utter disregard?
Luo Chen waved his hand dismissively. "No matter. This Huangfu Song possesses the empty title of grand cultivator, but in truth, he is nothing more than an embroidered pillow."
An embroidered pillow?
Duan Li was full of bewilderment. The man's cultivation realm was genuine, and that brief display of purple sword qi had nearly taken his life.
In every respect, he fully matched the stature of a late-stage Golden Core cultivator. How could he be called an embroidered pillow?
Facing the bewildered pair, Luo Chen sighed.
"Though I have only met him once, he is far too shallow. His nature can be seen at a glance.
"Fierce of countenance yet timid in heart, fond of scheming yet devoid of resolve, begrudging his life when grand deeds call, yet tossing caution aside for petty gains—how could such a man ever be a mortal threat to me?"
Regardless of how the two interpreted his words, Luo Chen did not anticipate much trouble.
In seizing spiritual grounds, his own actions in the Flying Swallow Archipelago served as the best point of comparison for today's affair.
For the Tier 3 low-grade spirit vein of Yaoyue Island, he had planned and then struck decisively, offering Yan Nantian no chance at all and kicking down the door without wasting words.
At that time, his foundation had not yet solidified, and his cultivation realm had not even been higher than Yan Nantian's.
Yet what of Huangfu Song?
Huangfu Song's personal strength and the number of powerful experts at his command far exceeded Luo Chen's side.
Yet he still insisted on courtesies before force, appealing to reason and offering incentives.
And when he could neither out-talk nor overcome his opponent, he resorted to petty underhanded tricks to try to salvage the situation.
Had Luo Chen not been wary of the Eight-Star Demon Hunter backing him, he would have slain him on the spot in the Penghu Marsh.
Never mind any Nascent Soul trump cards!
His Penghu dao arena truly housed a genuine Nascent Soul Perfected Person!
Over these years, nourished by the Soul Nourishing Wood, Han Zhan's soul body had grown increasingly stable, and he had likely recovered thirty percent of his former strength.
If pushed, Han Zhan would strike on his behalf as well.
"Enough of this."
Luo Chen turned around and looked at Duan Li.
"I thank Fellow Daoist for stepping forward so righteously today. I shall remember this favor."
Duan Li hurriedly waved his hands. "It hardly counts as a favor. If anything, I only brought trouble upon you."
He had come to understand.
Given Qingyangzi's capabilities, these foes were never in his eyes to begin with.
His own abrupt intervention had instead forced Qingyangzi to step in and rescue him, perhaps even disrupting his other plans.
Luo Chen did not mind. "I appreciate your goodwill. However, now is not the time for casual conversation. I have a guest to receive; let us speak again in a couple of days."
Duan Li was taken aback.
Another guest visiting?
His gaze swept across the surrounding expanse. Was it one of those rogue cultivators who had come to pay respects out of admiration?
*Old Angler.*
A divine sense transmission brushed his ear, and comprehension dawned upon him.
"Tianxuan, see Fellow Daoist Duan Li off for me."
"Yes, Master!"
After Tianxuan saw the guest off, Luo Chen drifted back to Peng Island.
Before long, an escaping light descended beside him.
"That was quite a fine show I watched today!" Old Angler chuckled.
Luo Chen shook his head. "Merely a farce."
Old Angler twitched the corner of his mouth. A farce?
Not necessarily.
"To think that the legendary Demonic Lord Qingyang is actually proficient in the art of artifact forging as well!"
Luo Chen was not surprised that Old Angler called out the alias he used while roaming the Northern Sea. He had never concealed it, and had even flaunted it openly.
After this incident, those petty schemers coveting Penghu's spiritual grounds would surely discard their ambitions.
Even if not, they would at least inquire into Demonic Lord Qingyang's battle record on Lengguang Island.
That was a terrifying being who had slain several peers of the same realm, and when besieged by two late-stage Golden Core grand cultivators, managed to kill one and repel the other!
Even within the Myriad Immortals Association, few could compare to such an existence.
Apart from the three Eight-Star Demon Hunters, perhaps only the dozen or so Seven-Star Demon Hunters could stand alongside him.
"A mere trifle of artifact forging, practiced only in my leisure to pass the time."
Luo Chen offered a modest reply before asking pointedly, "And what was that person's reaction?"
Knowing whom he meant, Old Angler answered truthfully:
"Dissatisfied, yet satisfied."
"Oh?" Luo Chen frowned.
Old Angler laughed heartily. "Rest assured. Empress Zi was dissatisfied with Huangfu Song's character, but satisfied with how you handled it. Do not worry too much; though Empress Zi shares some ties with Huangfu Song, years of living as a rogue cultivator have long diluted that affection. Right now, she is entirely focused on achieving Golden Core perfection and breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm. Why would she ever raise arms for an old friend's junior?"
In a few short words, there was a wealth of information.
The final part, in particular, put Luo Chen's mind at ease.
In the very late stages of any major realm, cultivators were generally unwilling to engage in major conflict, wishing only for quiet, undisturbed cultivation.
Unless left with no choice.
Like Luo Chen himself: back in his late Foundation Establishment stage, aside from exacting vengeance and gathering resources, he had essentially secluded himself in bitter cultivation atop Tianlan Peak, venturing out only after advancing to the Golden Core realm.
Compared to breaking through from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core, advancing from Golden Core to Nascent Soul demanded far greater caution.
Such a figure would never act lightly.
"It seems my conduct today struck the right balance after all." Luo Chen chuckled softly, and with a sense of relief, cupped his hands to Old Angler. "Of course, I must also thank Your Excellency for your assistance."
Old Angler waved his hand. "Calling me 'Your Excellency' makes us strangers. Let us simply address each other as fellow Daoists."
What was a fellow Daoist?
Only those who walked the same dao were true companions.
Old Angler's words held deeper meaning, his objective self-evident: he sought Luo Chen's guidance in the path of body refinement.
Understanding the hint, Luo Chen extended his hand in invitation.
"We spoke before of finding a time and place to exchange insights. No day is better than today—let it be now!"
Old Angler broke into a broad smile. "Nothing could please me more!"
Exchanging smiles, the two stepped into the palace atop Peng Island.
Chapter 608