Peng Island covered a vast expanse, with mountains rising from its terrain.
When ordinary cultivators selected spirit grounds, they favored mountainsides and peaks. The spiritual qi of heaven and earth had both clear and turbid elements, which coalesced in massive quantities to form spirit veins.
In this natural process, turbid qi sank while clear qi rose.
Though both could be absorbed and utilized, cultivators naturally preferred the clear, pure spiritual qi. Consequently, immortal caves and abodes were usually situated on elevated ground.
Luo Chen was different. Relying on the power of formations, he confined the premium spiritual qi within the Constellation Palace, which left the towering mountain on Peng Island unoccupied.
Yet it was not entirely idle.
On occasion, Tianxuan would ascend the peak, transform into her true fighting gull form, and soar freely for a time. Because of this, she had casually constructed the Lake Viewing Pavilion up there.
At this moment, within the Lake Viewing Pavilion.
Three Daoists sat enjoying the gentle breeze, savoring tea and discussing the Dao.
From a distance, the scene truly carried the ethereal aura of immortal beings described in worldly lore.
However, Xiao Buhuan, one of the three, was still caught in a state of shock, unable to fully regain his composure.
He looked out over the boundless, misty expanse of the great lake, where fish darted playfully in the water and birds circled overhead, dotted with countless islands of all sizes like scattered stars.
Such a breathtaking domain had been rented entirely by the Daoist friend before him!
Before arriving, Xiao Buhuan had assumed the Myriad Immortals Association had relaxed its restrictions, permitting the spirit grounds of Peng Island to be leased out in parcels. He had never imagined that Qingyangzi possessed such staggering wealth that he had leased the entire island all at once.
While his thoughts drifted, Qingyangzi's gentle voice drifted into his ear.
"Daoist friend? Daoist friend?"
Xiao Buhuan shook his head, returning to his senses. "What is it?"
Luo Chen offered a faint smile. "Nothing much. I only wished to learn a bit about the garrison mission on the Quyang Defensive Line."
"Didn't you stay there for half a month?" Xiao Buhuan asked, puzzled.
Luo Chen replied, "What I want to know isn't the local customs or the general war situation, but rather the specific details of the garrison duties—such as the personnel arrangements, daily responsibilities, and the like."
"Ah." Xiao Buhuan came to an understanding.
He then laid out the details for Luo Chen as familiar as his own family heirlooms.
The matters involved were actually not that tedious.
After all, they were Golden Core Masters!
When holding down a territory, how could they personally oversee every trivial detail?
As the administrative core of the defensive line, Quyang Island maintained a permanent garrison of over a thousand cultivators.
Roughly eighty percent of these cultivators were rogue cultivators from the Myriad Immortals Association, rotating each year.
They were divided into several units, each led by late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators—the formation unit, patrol unit, disciplinary unit, logistics unit, and so forth.
These units were the primary force handling the daily chores.
What the garrison Golden Core cultivators provided was mainly combat security. Relying on their Golden Core cultivation, their duty was to withstand the initial shock of any sudden crisis and buy time for reinforcements from the rear.
Along the Quyang Defensive Line, there were three Golden Core cultivators assigned to garrison duty in total.
Their mission durations varied considerably. Xiao Buhuan, for example, had undertaken a long-term garrison assignment, whereas the other two held short-term rotations of one year each.
The reason Luo Chen had not seen the other two during his previous visit to Quyang Island was that they had been temporarily reassigned to the forward front—the Liuyang Defensive Line.
"If their mission was for the Quyang Sea Domain, how could they be deployed to the Liuyang Sea Domain?" Luo Chen asked in confusion. Could mission locations be changed so arbitrarily?
Xiao Buhuan gave a helpless sigh. "The rules of the Myriad Immortals Association haven't fully solidified yet, so tasks can be quite flexible at times. Especially with short-term rotations, Golden Core cultivators are like building bricks—moved wherever they're needed."
He paused for a moment.
"Of course, it also had to do with the fact that both of those Daoist friends are only Four-Star Demon Hunters. They wanted to head to the front line to hunt demon beasts and raise their star ranking."
*So that's how it is.*
Luo Chen nodded inwardly, committing these details to memory.
Xiao Buhuan suddenly realized something. "Qingyangzi, why do you ask about this?"
Luo Chen smiled broadly. "To prepare for my upcoming mission, of course!"
Xiao Buhuan and Duan Li were momentarily startled before realizing that he had accepted a short-term garrison mission on the defensive line.
The three chatted for a while longer before Xiao Buhuan took his leave and departed.
Having just returned, he had not yet rested and felt mentally weary.
Moreover, there were matters awaiting his attention back at Xiushan Cave Abode.
When rogue cultivators paid a heavy price to lease a spirit vein cave abode, they did not use it solely for cultivation.
An environment rich in spiritual qi could be put to many uses. Luo Chen, for instance, had Zhang Jiadi's clan cultivate aquatic beasts.
Xiao Buhuan did something similar. He had hired a few rogue cultivators to plant vast fields of spirit flora on Xiushan during his absence on missions. Although he had kept track of the yields through correspondence over the years, he still needed to inspect the actual situation in person.
After Xiao Buhuan left, the atmosphere in the Lake Viewing Pavilion quieted down.
Luo Chen said nothing, merely sipping his spirit tea.
Duan Li stared at the steam rising from the teacup on the stone table, his expression conflicted and hesitant.
After a long pause, he finally spoke with difficulty:
"Daoist friend, could you do me a favor?"
The corner of Luo Chen's mouth curved slightly. *As expected!*
Duan Li indeed had a favor to ask; otherwise, he would not have taken such risks to intervene on his behalf earlier.
Still, his impression of the man was quite decent. If it was within his ability to help, he would not be stingy.
"Please, speak freely. So long as it lies within my power, I will certainly assist you."
Duan Li's expression relaxed slightly, and he spoke solemnly. "During the battle of that assessment mission, the Yuan Demon remnant employed vicious, underhanded methods, and in a momentary lapse, I took a blow from him. At the time, I thought it was just a minor injury that could be healed with recuperation, but I never anticipated that the strike contained a hidden trick. The longer it dragged on, the more the wound clung to me like a maggot feeding on marrow, impossible to dispel.
"Over the years, I collected numerous healing methods and ultimately chose one.
"However, for this method to work, I need a Golden Core expert whose soul foundation far exceeds my own to assist me from the side.
"After turning it over in my mind, across the entire Myriad Immortals Association, only you possess both the capability and my trust."
Having said this, Duan Li looked at Luo Chen expectantly.
If his memory served, during that assessment mission, Luo Chen had faced the Yuan Demon remnant's soul-path attacks without the slightest fear.
Just yesterday, when confronting the seventh-layer Golden Core cultivator Huangfu Song, an invisible contest had unfolded between them. Outsiders might not have known, but Duan Li, standing so close, had been caught in the crossfire of Huangfu Song's Imperial Soul-Daunting Voice. At that moment, he had nearly lost control of his own composure.
Yet Luo Chen had remained completely unaffected, even unleashing an uncanny technique that left Huangfu Song utterly shaken.
From this, it was obvious that the man before him possessed attainments in the soul that vastly surpassed his own.
To resolve the affliction within him, in the vast Myriad Immortals Association, Duan Li could only turn to Luo Chen.
After listening, Luo Chen replied without hesitation, "Show me the method first so I can inspect the specifics."
"Of course."
A jade slip was handed over.
Luo Chen examined it thoroughly.
Only after a considerable time did he withdraw his divine sense.
"It isn't particularly difficult. According to the description, if the preparations are thorough and things proceed smoothly, it can be resolved in less than half a day."
"Then..." Duan Li looked at Luo Chen anxiously, adding to ease any hesitation, "I have already made all the necessary preparations. You need only grace Cangfeng Cave with your presence."
Under his tense gaze, Luo Chen pondered briefly before giving a slight nod.
Duan Li finally breathed a sigh of relief. Standing up, he cupped his hands in gratitude.
"Thank you, Daoist friend!"
***
That very day, Luo Chen accompanied Duan Li to Cangfeng Cave.
This was his second visit to the cave abode.
On his previous visit, the place had lacked any decor, and five years later, little had changed—proof enough that Duan Li had been so tormented by his injury that he had no heart for furnishing his abode.
Upon arriving at an auxiliary cavern where spiritual qi was practically nonexistent, Duan Li raised his hand and cast several hand seals.
Instantly, streaks of spiritual light emerged across the cavern floor.
Under his manipulation, lines of an array formation revealed themselves.
In the exact center, a single spot was left open, where a prayer mat rested quietly.
Duan Li glanced at Luo Chen, then leaped onto the mat, enveloped by the formation.
"Qingyangzi, I will leave matters in your hands."
Luo Chen smiled faintly, holding a small white flag. "Put your mind at ease, Daoist friend!"
The next moment, Duan Li closed his eyes, holding one palm vertical before his chest while pressing the other against the ground.
Instantly, the formation blazed with dazzling radiance.
The white flag in Luo Chen's hand began to tremble violently.
At the same time, Duan Li's body in the center of the array shifted from stillness to tremors, his face contorting in agony.
Watching this, Luo Chen murmured inwardly.
*The Soul Extraction and Spirit Snatching Formation—using such a method to forcibly pluck out the hidden affliction attached to himself.*
*What a bold way to fight poison with poison! What resolve Duan Li has!*
One could well imagine how perilous such an approach was to a cultivator.
For Duan Li to resort to such a desperate measure and even place the helm entirely in Luo Chen's hands showed just how determined he was.
Yet it was also a case of treating a dead horse as a live one.
Under normal circumstances, no cultivator would place complete trust in a friend with whom they shared only modest acquaintance. Luo Chen himself certainly would not.
Duan Li was truly driven to a dead end!
When entrusted by others, Luo Chen rarely disappointed.
Taking a deep breath, he released the white flag, sat cross-legged on the ground, and formed a hand seal.
An invisible pulling force surged from the grand formation, like a cord tethered to both Luo Chen and Duan Li.
Luo Chen gave a firm tug!
Instantly, Duan Li's body shuddered violently in the center of the formation.
Across his face, a wisp of black qi emerged like an earthworm, wrenched out in an instant by Luo Chen.
The moment the black qi was drawn forth, it scrambled desperately to return to Duan Li, but how could Luo Chen allow it to have its way?
The white flag hovering in midair swept outward, instantly drawing the wisp of black qi inside.
*The first step was a success!*
The thought arose simultaneously in both Luo Chen's and Duan Li's minds.
*Next...*
Luo Chen continued in accordance with the method, repeating the process over and over.
However, what had initially taken a mere instant began to slow down progressively.
Half a day later!
"Aaargh..."
A low, beast-like roar tore from Duan Li's throat.
Luo Chen channeled his magic power with noticeable strain.
It was not that his soul foundation was inadequate, but rather that he had to regulate his force with extreme precision. Otherwise, what he extracted would not be the black qi, but Duan Li's own soul.
Just as success approached, a thought struck Luo Chen.
*This black qi is practically identical to the soul essence recorded in the ancient texts. Using such an agent to assault an enemy is truly venomous beyond measure.*
*If I used my mastery-level Dragon Slaying Art, could it achieve the same effect as this Soul Extraction and Spirit Snatching Formation?*
The thought flickered through his mind for a fleeting moment.
The next instant, Luo Chen rose abruptly and barked out,
"If you do not come out now, when will you?!"
Duan Li shuddered violently.
A tendril of black qi as thick as a finger burst forth from the crown of his head.
The white flag unfurled in the air, drawing every shred of the black qi within. Looking at it now, it was no longer a white flag at all, but a pitch-black banner.
The glow of the formation gradually faded.
Duan Li sat slumped on the prayer mat, drenched in sweat as though he had just been fished from the water.
Though his face was contorted in lingering pain, the corners of his mouth curved into a crooked grin of sheer, unburdened joy.
Luo Chen grabbed the black banner.
"Clean yourself up first, Daoist friend. I will wait outside for you."
Duan Li blinked in assent.
At this moment, he genuinely lacked the strength to open his mouth.
***
After a long while, Duan Li, having washed and changed, emerged into the cave chamber.
Upon stepping inside, he saw Luo Chen examining the black banner.
"What is it?"
Luo Chen pointed at the banner. "If I am not mistaken, this black qi should be the legendary soul essence."
All living beings possessed three ethereal souls and seven corporeal spirits.
They were formless, incorporeal, silent, and invisible.
Only when one achieved profound cultivation and the soul condensed into substance could it take visible shape.
So-called ghost generals and ghost kings might appear to possess solid bodies, but most were simply filled with yin qi.
Brilliant cultivators had discovered ways to extract the purest quintessence from vast seas of souls using secret techniques, forming what was known as soul essence.
Rumor held that such soul essence was an exceedingly rare sacred medicine!
When consumed alongside specialized secret arts, it could drastically bolster a cultivator's soul foundation.
Moreover, if one refined soul essence into an offensive tool, its might would far surpass ordinary soul-striking arts.
Duan Li froze, and a look of sudden realization dawned on his face.
"No wonder none of the methods I tried could purge this poison. If it truly is soul essence, then even after its master perished, it retained spirituality and continued to relentlessly assault my soul.
"To fall before such a strike, I can hardly call myself wronged."
Luo Chen grew intrigued and asked directly, "Could you give this soul essence to me?"
Duan Li hesitated, but recalling the agony he had endured over the years, he ultimately nodded.
"You have aided me immensely today, Daoist friend. It is merely a bit of soul essence; take it."
He sighed in deep relief. "Now that the maggot in my marrow has been purged, I truly feel unburdened and refreshed. I haven't felt this light in five full years."
Though his complexion remained pale, it was no longer the deathly, sickly hue of before.
A trace of healthy color was already returning, proof of the treatment's success.
Facing Luo Chen, Duan Li bowed deeply.
"I have truly troubled you this time, Daoist friend. I owe you a favor!"
Luo Chen stepped aside to avoid taking the full bow. "It was merely a small effort, no need for such formality. When Huangfu Song picked a fight earlier, didn't you step forward to lend a hand as well?"
Duan Li straightened up and shook his head.
"It is not the same."
Indeed, it was not the same; favors had varying weight.
What Duan Li had done for Luo Chen was merely adding flowers to brocade, whereas Luo Chen had delivered charcoal in the snow.
"In the future, should you ever have need of me, I am willing to strike with all my strength on your behalf once, and I will never break this promise!"
Seeing Duan Li's dead-earnest expression, Luo Chen swallowed the polite deflections he had prepared.
To have the full support of a Golden Core cultivator at a critical moment was certainly no small asset.
Duan Li was by no means weak.
The fact that he had been able to forcibly tear through the Black Domain when facing an equal-realm Yuan Demon Sect remnant was testament enough!
One had to remember that the foe had been a true disciple of a sacred ground, far beyond the true disciples of ordinary sects.
After urging Duan Li to rest and recover properly, Luo Chen left Cangfeng Cave and returned to Penghu Lake.
Upon his return, he first summoned Zhang Jiadi, praising his composure in the face of imminent danger, and inquired about the breeding progress of the golden dragon carp.
Next, he met with Tianxuan, giving instructions regarding a few miscellaneous matters.
Finally, after checking in with Han Zhan, he took Black King, boarded his flying boat, and set off toward the Quyang Sea Domain.
Aside from assessment missions and wartime mobilizations, using the teleportation formation in Longyuan Immortal City required a hefty sum of spirit stones, an expense Luo Chen was loath to bear.
At any rate, the Quyang Sea Domain was not far from the Dragon Taming Mountain Range. While traveling by seafaring vessel would have been much slower, flying by boat made the trip considerably faster.
Regulating his magic power to maintain a steady consumption rate, he guided the flying boat northward.
Wherever it passed, a white contrail carved across the sky.
***
Five days later.
In the Quyang Sea Domain, a squad of patrolling cultivators halted their steps.
Gazing toward the horizon, they saw a streak of spiritual light cleaving through the air.
Only when it drew near did the outline of a flying boat become clear.
Those who dared to pilot a flying boat across the Northern Sea were either undertaking short journeys in secure waters or possessed immense confidence in their own formidable abilities.
Evidently, the Quyang Sea Domain, locked in perennial combat against demon beasts, was anything but secure.
That left only the second possibility.
The patrol captain stepped forward proactively.
"Senior, this is the second defensive line of the Myriad Immortals Association. Please state your origin and purpose."
From aboard the flying boat, the red-robed Daoist casually tossed an item forward.
"Four-Star Demon Hunter Qingyangzi, here to fulfill my garrison duty."
The patrol captain paused, looked down at the identity token in his hand, and understood everything in an instant.
A humble, ingratiating smile spread across his face.
"This way, Senior. Another Master arrived a few days ago; you are the second to report. Allow me to introduce you."
Luo Chen raised an eyebrow. He naturally knew who the first arrival was.
It was the Demon Hunter who had replaced Xiao Buhuan, also bound to a ten-year long-term assignment—a rogue cultivator with the Daoist title Lord Lushan, if he recalled correctly.
What surprised him was that the other cultivator assigned to a short-term garrison mission, just like himself, had yet to arrive.
"Lead the way then!"
Chapter 610