Han Zhan had expected Luo Chen to scout ahead for him, feeling out the might of the Two Instruments Six Jia Formation in advance.
He had not expected Luo Chen to come seeking him out first.
"A domain?"
Inside the cave dwelling, Han Zhan stared in momentary bewilderment at Luo Chen, who had come humbly asking for guidance.
"You are only at the Core Formation stage. Why are you already dwelling on domains?"
Luo Chen smiled freely. "I was simply curious. Junior was thinking that if I could grasp a domain technique while still at the Core Formation stage, it might become my greatest trump card."
Han Zhan frowned. "From what I see, your protective means already far surpass those of ordinary Core Formation cultivators. To still be dissatisfied and covet more—aren't you afraid of neglecting your cultivation?"
Indeed, the variety of techniques at Luo Chen's disposal was vast.
Spells, illusions, body refinement—he possessed virtually no weaknesses, and every single art boasted immense power.
As for his magical treasures, while he lacked a top-tier offensive treasure, he still possessed the high-grade Hunyuan Cauldron, which was versatile in every respect.
Once that defensive treasure was finished, it could be said that Luo Chen would be able to walk unimpeded across the entire Core Formation realm.
Yet he still seemed dissatisfied, wanting to leap beyond his realm to learn even more potent techniques. It truly seemed like putting the cart before the horse.
One had to understand that once a cultivator broke through in realm, what they once revered as an all-powerful trump card might become as worthless as chicken ribs.
To be so greedy for more was utterly unwise.
At this, Luo Chen merely shrugged.
"It never hurts to understand a thing or two beforehand. Besides, I'm not saying I must learn it right away. Learning about it now means that if I face a formidable Nascent Soul enemy in the future, I will at least have targeted countermeasures."
"Then you are dreaming."
Han Zhan let out a soft snort. "A so-called Nascent Soul domain is the manipulation of heaven-and-earth spiritual energy. It exerts absolute suppression over lower-realm cultivators. Even if you understand it, you cannot devise targeted countermeasures to break it."
Puzzled, Luo Chen pressed for more details.
Seeing that Luo Chen intended to get to the bottom of the matter, Han Zhan simply laid out what a Nascent Soul domain truly was.
"A Core Formation cultivator possesses a natural spiritual pressure over a Foundation Establishment cultivator because magic power is a higher-order advancement of spiritual energy.
"Once a cultivator advances to the Nascent Soul stage, shattering the core to form the nascent soul, the reborn soul emerges and undergoes the baptism of heaven-and-earth spiritual energy following the heavenly tribulation. It naturally gains an affinity with heaven and earth, thereby granting the cultivator mastery over the corresponding elemental spiritual energy within a specific area.
"When that mastery erupts in full force, it forms what is called a Nascent Soul domain.
"Within this domain, only the Nascent Soul cultivator's magic power and the ambient spiritual energy of that same element can exist. All other lower-realm cultivators will suffer the simultaneous dual suppression of both the Nascent Soul True Person and heaven and earth itself. Life and death lie entirely within a single thought of the True Person.
"You do not possess a nascent soul, so you cannot resonate with the external spiritual energy of the same element. How could you possibly establish a domain?"
So that was how it worked!
Through Han Zhan's in-depth explanation, Luo Chen finally grasped what a Nascent Soul domain truly was.
He also understood why only a True Person could contend with another True Person!
In the cultivation world, instances of slaying foes above one's realm were numerous, but most were across minor realms. Those capable of slaying someone across a major realm were few and far between.
And among those exceedingly rare cases, there had never been a single instance of a Core Formation cultivator slaying a Nascent Soul cultivator. To simply escape with one's life was enough to be lauded by the world.
A domain was an absolute suppression that transcended mere spiritual pressure!
Yet Luo Chen still harbored doubts.
He brought up the anomaly of drawing in heaven-and-earth spiritual energy when he had practiced the Water-Fire Two Instruments Formation not long ago.
Han Zhan chuckled. "Formidable formations are inherently capable of manipulating heaven-and-earth spiritual energy for their own use, because many formidable arrays were comprehended by predecessors from the grand trends of heaven and earth. That has nothing to do with the individual."
Luo Chen shook his head. "No. I once saw a cultivator from the Soul Refining branch of the Yuan Demon Sect unleash a domain with his own hands. That man was merely at early Core Formation, yet by relying on that domain, he held off both myself and another early Core Formation cultivator single-handedly."
This time, Han Zhan was genuinely shocked.
He hastily inquired in detail about the specifics of that battle.
After Luo Chen recounted it thoroughly, Han Zhan fell into deep thought.
Only after a long while did Han Zhan sigh in a low voice. "Perhaps this is the profound heritage of a Soul Transformation sacred ground—to actually enable a Core Formation cultivator to wield a pseudo-domain akin to a Nascent Soul domain."
"Then could I do it?"
"You..."
Han Zhan hesitated, analyzing carefully. "If it truly is as you say, that Yuan Demon remnant clearly used a formation, a Ten Thousand Soul Banner, and a formidable ghost king that was neither quite human nor beast to set up that pseudo-domain."
"I also have a Ten Thousand Soul Banner, and the souls within are no weaker than his were that day. I even learned that man's soul fusion secret technique!"
"But you lack the corresponding formation!"
"How about the Two Instruments Formation?"
"Your Two Instruments Formation draws upon the concepts of water and fire, requiring the Black King's assistance, and you clearly struggle to control it. My Two Instruments Formation back then drew upon life and death, relying on a Nascent Soul puppet I had refined, which was why I could command it as smoothly as my own limbs."
"Are you saying that it requires relying entirely on power that belongs to oneself?"
"Yes. Based on my deductions, that strange ghost king the Yuan Demon remnant fused with was likely the product of a split soul. That was why he could command the pseudo-domain."
"A split soul..."
This time, Luo Chen was truly stumped.
The art of splitting the soul was a genuine immortal method, impossible to master without the backing of a great sect or reaching the Nascent Soul realm.
In fact, one had to be an expert steeped in the path of the divine soul to divide one's soul.
Luo Chen prided himself on his potent divine soul, yet he dared not split his soul lightly.
Thinking of splitting souls, he subconsciously glanced at Han Zhan.
The Luoyun Sect's Soul Splitting Art, one of its Three Cultivation Arts and Two Techniques!
"Don't get any ideas about me. That is the sect's core legacy art, not something comparable to the Origin Core Art or Locking the Beaded Curtain. Put it completely out of your mind!"
With a single glance, Han Zhan saw right through Luo Chen's intentions.
After spending so many years together, he knew what the kid was thinking the moment he shifted.
Thus, he immediately stamped out Luo Chen's hopes.
Luo Chen curled his lip and did not press the matter further.
After asking a few more details about Nascent Soul domains, he returned in disappointment.
***
After returning from Han Zhan's dwelling, though Luo Chen still occasionally thought about the Nascent Soul domain and perused ancient texts, his focus gradually settled.
The pressing matter at hand was to thoroughly master the formations required for forging the magical treasure.
Otherwise, if his array skills lagged behind once the treasure embryo finished nurturing, it would become a joke.
Although a magical treasure embryo could be preserved for a long time and undergo subsequent forging years later, Luo Chen clearly could not wait that long.
Or rather, he had waited for this treasure for far, far too long!
After joining forces with the Black King to lay down the Water-Fire Two Instruments Formation, Luo Chen's comprehension of this array grew deeper and deeper.
Clearly, he had achieved what Han Zhan called comprehending the true essence of the formation.
His subsequent practice became increasingly smooth.
Three years later.
Inside the Constellation Palace, Luo Chen looked at the system panel cascading down like a waterfall, a look of satisfaction appearing in his eyes.
[Two Instruments Formation: Great Circle. Six Jia Formation: Great Circle.]
The core Two Instruments Six Jia Formation had reached its pinnacle.
Not only that, but through years of practice and application, even the Tier 3 Ruyi Formation commonly used in artifact forging had reached the Great Circle.
The minor arrays went without saying.
Though most of these formations were intended for forging rather than offense or defense, Luo Chen was now fully worthy of being called a Tier 3 Array Master.
"In this state, carving the treasure embryo will be foolproof."
With a quiet sigh of emotion, Luo Chen rose and walked into the Alchemy and Forging Hall.
Carefully lifting the protective barrier, he withdrew the treasure embryo enveloped within his magic power.
At first glance, it appeared as a hazy sphere of spiritual light, but a closer look revealed an exquisite suit of armor.
Though exquisite, it lacked none of its innate weight and durability.
The essence of the black tortoise had been preserved by Luo Chen.
Even before the formations were inscribed, the dense treasure radiance gave the impression of a dazzling masterpiece. It was hard to imagine what it would look like once it truly saw the light of day.
Gripping the treasure embryo, Luo Chen's eyes shone with immense anticipation.
"Let us begin!"
***
The North District of Longyuan Immortal City had once been the city's most desolate quarter, but in recent years, its popularity had surged.
The primary reason was likely the sudden rise of an establishment known as the Qingyang Treasure Pavilion!
Rumor had it that this pavilion was the property of a Core Formation Master within the Myriad Immortals Association who possessed profound strength and mastery over artifact forging.
From time to time, he would place items he had forged on sale in the shop.
Not only did rogue cultivators flock to it in droves, but even Foundation Establishment and Core Formation cultivators from Shenyuan City frequently came to hunt for treasures.
Yet it was evident that the rapid rise of the Qingyang Treasure Pavilion was not solely due to this factor.
The Zhou family of the Coral Sea had contributed great effort to it!
Previously, the three Nascent Soul factions—Zhou, Chen, and Wuzhong Valley—had joined the Myriad Immortals Association to huddle together for warmth, yet under the demands of the Three Great Loose Cultivators, they were forbidden from encroaching upon the association's profits.
Through years of scheming, Wuzhong Valley had gradually infiltrated the core of the Myriad Immortals Association and secured the important post of Vice City Lord of Longyuan Immortal City.
The Zhou family refused to fall behind. By arranging marriages with rogue cultivator families within the Myriad Immortals Association and utilizing the channel of the Qingyang Firm, they introduced their own goods into the loose cultivator community of the association.
Now, while the Qingyang Treasure Pavilion bore the name of Qingyangzi's property, its core operations were handled by members of the Zhang and Zhou families. The artifacts and magical treasures forged by Qingyangzi no longer accounted for a significant portion of the goods; they served merely as a gimmick.
Tianxuan had once reported this usurpation of authority to Luo Chen.
In response, Luo Chen had merely laughed it off.
When the cake grew larger, someone was bound to share it.
He did not care who owned the rights to the cake, so long as the spirit stones delivered to him grew year by year.
Besides, he had invested virtually nothing in the Qingyang Firm or the Qingyang Treasure Pavilion to begin with.
On this day.
Zhou Shanshan, the matriarch of the Zhang family, arrived at the Qingyang Treasure Pavilion in person to inspect her family's enterprise.
Wherever she walked, servants and maidservants bowed with utmost deference, and passing customers greeted her warmly.
Almost imperceptibly, the influence left behind by Wen Xiu years ago had long since vanished.
Zhou Shanshan was thoroughly pleased by this sight.
That Wen Xiu had merely been a female cultivator from a destitute small clan. After Zhou Shanshan took charge of the Cailian Island Zhang family, Wen Xiu had proactively stepped down and ceded her position, which showed some sense.
Had Wen Xiu not taken a rogue cultivator named Lord Lushan as her master and possessed that backing, Zhou Shanshan would have reduced the allowances of her daughter, Zhang Jingqing, in the Zhang family long ago.
In any case, Zhang Jiadi, the father, would never quibble with her over such trivial matters.
Sitting on the second floor and listening to the shopkeeper report the recent profits, Zhou Shanshan felt both pleased and somewhat dissatisfied.
"The lion's share is taken by Master Qingyang and the Zhou family. When it comes to our Zhang family, we receive only a sliver no bigger than a fingernail. How utterly unfair!"
Feeling sullen, she pushed open the window.
By chance, she overheard an argument downstairs between a deacon and a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
"It was agreed before that this information was worth a hundred thousand spirit stones! How does that suddenly not count anymore?"
"Before was before, now is now. How can you compare the two?"
Zhou Shanshan frowned and summoned the shopkeeper.
"What are they arguing about?"
The shopkeeper bowed respectfully. "Please wait a moment, Madam. I shall go ask."
"Go on, then."
The shopkeeper hurried away and quickly returned.
"Reporting to Madam, that rogue cultivator brought back news of a spirit herb and wishes to exchange it for a hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones. However, that task was posted over ten years ago by Wen... Madam Wen. It is uncertain whether it still holds valid today."
"Posted by that woman?" Zhou Shanshan's brow furrowed.
Her instinct was to dismiss it on the spot.
Yet she still asked aloud, "What spirit herb?"
"It is a spirit herb called the Purple Monkey Flower. As for its exact use, we are not certain."
"The Purple Monkey Flower?"
Zhou Shanshan blinked, recalling an herb recorded in the Zhou family's ancient records.
"Isn't that a rather famous poisonous flower from antiquity? Does Wen Xiu intend to cultivate a poison art, or use this poisonous flower to harm someone? Why else would she post such a task?"
The shopkeeper gave a bitter smile. "I do not know either. This lowly one was transferred here from the Zhou family only in recent years."
Zhou Shanshan waved her hand dismissively.
"A hundred thousand spirit stones? Absolutely not! Turn him away."
The shopkeeper immediately received the order and left.
After he departed, Zhou Shanshan curled her lips.
"These rogue cultivators are mad with poverty, expecting a hundred thousand spirit stones for a mere piece of news—sheer delusion! That Wen Xiu is truly clueless about managing a household. How could the Zhang family squander wealth like that?"
At nightfall.
Zhang Jiadi, having just returned from drinking with a low-tier alchemist with whom he worked closely, was called away by a deacon of the Qingyang Treasure Pavilion before he could even step through his front doors.
***
"You go in first. Have that person wait outside for now."
Zhang Jiadi smoothed his robes and stepped nervously into the Alchemy and Forging Hall.
The moment he entered, he was met with a blast of scorching heat that nearly took his breath away.
He blinked hard several times before making out the white-robed Daoist sitting cross-legged beneath the colossal cauldron.
"Zhang Jiadi greets the Master!"
"I heard you brought back news of the Purple Monkey Flower, one of the three spirit herbs I sought?" Luo Chen asked without turning his head.
Zhang Jiadi kept his head lowered. "The specific details remain with that rogue cultivator. I have indeed brought the man back, but the payment has not yet been rendered."
"Has the news leaked?"
"No. Since the spirit stones haven't been given to him yet, no one else knows."
"You have done well."
As he spoke, a large pill bottle flew to Zhang Jiadi's side.
"This is a bottle of Tier 2 high-grade Thick Earth Pills, very suitable for your cultivation. Take it!"
Zhang Jiadi's eyes lit up. Overjoyed, he hastily caught the large pill bottle. A brief probe revealed that there were a full hundred pills inside.
If he used them sparingly, they would last him two to three years.
"You may leave. Have that man stay."
After Zhang Jiadi left, Tianxuan entered first and reported everything that had happened earlier at the Qingyang Treasure Pavilion to Luo Chen.
That pavilion deacon was a rogue cultivator Wen Xiu had promoted in earlier years.
After Wen Xiu left, he had been suppressed by the newly arrived Zhou family members and relegated to handling mundane affairs with rogue cultivators.
Rogue cultivators were poor, demanding, and utterly troublesome, with almost no perks to be gained.
However, that deacon had secretly become Zhang Jiadi's confidant, keeping watch over the Qingyang Treasure Pavilion on his behalf.
Thus, the moment news arrived, he had notified Zhang Jiadi immediately.
Upon learning these internal details, Luo Chen's expression remained as calm as an ancient well, though he reflected aloud with some feeling.
"In the past, I merely thought Zhang Jiadi was useless, nothing more than an opportunist fawning over power. Now it seems that as he deals with higher-level people and matters, he has grown somewhat after all."
On the surface, the current Zhang family was managed in an orderly fashion by Zhou Shanshan, with all matters revolving around her as the matriarch.
In reality, however, the major direction was still held by Zhang Jiadi.
In particular, when it came to matters concerning Luo Chen, Zhang Jiadi never dared slacken in the slightest.
Clearly, he understood full well by whose favor he survived.
"Bring the man in!"
"Yes."
Tianxuan went out and soon returned with a youthful Foundation Establishment cultivator.
The moment he stepped inside, the young cultivator bowed deeply. "Rogue cultivator Xu Wang greets Master Qingyang!"
Luo Chen had his back to him, yet his overflowing divine sense captured every trace of awe and dread on the man's face.
"A young and capable one. To reach Foundation Establishment at such an age among rogue cultivators, you have done very well!"
Receiving Luo Chen's praise, Xu Wang's face finally lit up with joy.
"Thank you for the praise, Master. Junior merely chanced upon an opportunity left by predecessors, obtaining a Foundation Establishment Pill from an ancient ruin cave dwelling, and succeeded by sheer luck."
"An ancient ruin cave dwelling?"
"Yes. Within it was specific information regarding the Purple Monkey Flower. It is said to be located deep within the Demon Sea, on an island called Purple Spirit Island, which is inhabited by a large swarm of Purple Qi Poison Monkeys. Wherever Purple Qi Poison Monkeys dwell, the Purple Monkey Flower is certain to grow."
"What was that opportunity of yours like?"
"A scroll of cultivation methods, three bottles of precious pills, one magical treasure, and three miscellaneous books. The news of the Purple Monkey Flower comes from one of those miscellaneous books, which even had a map attached."
"Have you told anyone else about this?"
"No, none other than Deacon Yao of the Qingyang Treasure Pavilion."
The question-and-answer exchange continued.
Toward the end, Xu Wang's speech grew somewhat halting, and a look of pain appeared in his eyes.
Suddenly.
A wisp of clear, spiritual energy descended upon him, accompanied by a storage bag.
"Inside are a hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones."
Xu Wang shook his head violently, snapping awake from that trance-like stupor, and subconsciously reached out to take the storage bag.
Yet halfway there, his hand met an invisible resistance, unable to advance an inch.
"Master?"
"Leave the book behind. In addition, swear a Great Dao oath that you will never disclose this matter to another soul for the rest of your life."
A Great Dao oath was unlike an ordinary promise. Unless one intentionally sought to break all ties and disregard their cultivation path, virtually no one dared violate it.
Young and promising cultivators especially had to weigh their future prospects.
Xu Wang swallowed hard. For the sake of these hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones, he swore the Great Dao oath.
Afterward, upon handing over the miscellaneous book, he smoothly received the storage bag filled with a hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones.
"You may leave."
"Um, Master, could I perhaps request that you forge an artifact for me..."
"Be on your way!"
Xu Wang shuddered all over, daring not raise another request. Clutching the storage bag, he left Penghu Lake under Tianxuan's lead.
A long while later.
Tianxuan returned to the Alchemy and Forging Hall.
The moment she walked in, she saw a withered, yellowed book flipping pages on its own before Luo Chen.
"Master, is the news of the Purple Monkey Flower real or fake?"
"It should be real. From the moment Xu Wang entered, I used illusion arts to bewilder his mind. Every question and answer came straight from his heart, with no deceit whatsoever," Luo Chen said without looking back, his eyes fixed on the miscellaneous book.
With his mastery of illusion arts, even if he could not match the brute force of a demonic soul-searching technique, handling a mere newcomer to Foundation Establishment was effortless.
It was only because swearing a Great Dao oath required the cultivator to be in a clear state of mind that Luo Chen had awakened his mind; otherwise, he could even have manipulated and guided him into swearing countless oaths.
Tianxuan hesitated for a moment. "Then this book?"
"It has some age to it and is not a forgery. It was likely authored by someone who enjoyed traveling the Demon Sea."
Almost everyone who achieved success in cultivation liked to write books and establish treatises.
It was not merely to show off, but also to organize what they had gained from their own cultivation.
Luo Chen was no different; over the years, the notes he had casually jotted down on alchemy, artifact forging, and cultivation already exceeded ten volumes.
When his own lifespan neared its end, he too might write a travelogue or two to commemorate the places he had visited and the scenic marvels he had witnessed throughout his life.
Finally, Tianxuan asked curiously, "Then is Master going to that Purple Spirit Island?"
This time, Luo Chen shook his head slightly.
"I cannot leave for a short while."
Tianxuan was puzzled.
Luo Chen sighed. "Though I successfully forged this Demon Emperor's husk, the integration between the formation and the material was not as smooth as I had envisioned. Therefore, I need to spend at least a year stabilizing its formations."
Hearing this answer, Tianxuan was quite astonished.
When her master forged artifacts in the past, such an issue had never occurred!
How could Luo Chen not feel the same?
In truth, it was only this time that he had thoroughly probed the upper limit of the Hunyuan Cauldron's enhancement on artifact forging.
For low-grade magical treasures, there were virtually no obstacles.
For medium-grade magical treasures, the chances were roughly even.
Yet when it came to high-grade magical treasures, the nurturing effect became minuscule.
To make matters worse, the Demon Emperor's remains were of extraordinarily high quality, and the formation he intended to place was excessively powerful. As a result, a massive repulsive reaction occurred when fusing the two.
Had he not nurtured it long enough and brought his array mastery to its absolute pinnacle in advance, the carving would have failed entirely back then.
Even having forcibly carved the formations, he still needed to constantly comb and align the array lines afterward.
He had already sat in arduous seclusion in this Alchemy and Forging Hall for a long time.
And it was foreseeable that he would have to sit here for a good while longer before the formations on the treasure embryo could truly be stabilized.
"Then... the Purple Monkey Flower?" Tianxuan asked. Luo Chen had previously revealed the flower's purpose to her—it was intimately linked to forming a Nascent Soul.
With such a precious treasure, were they to simply wait around?
Luo Chen pondered for a long time, the light of contemplation flickering in his eyes, before he finally spoke slowly.
"Go summon the Black King!"
Chapter 624