"Qingyangzi, are you certain?"
"Of course. Or is Fellow Daoist Duan Li unwilling?"
Inside a side hall of the Demon Hunting Department, Luo Chen and Duan Li spoke in hushed voices.
A look of hesitation surfaced on Duan Li's face.
"It is not that I am uncertain. Rather, to expend the favor I owe you on such a trivial matter—is that not a waste?"
Luo Chen smiled faintly. "How could it be a waste? This matter is of paramount importance to me, and having an extra pair of hands means that much more strength. In particular, your flower basket magic treasure is the cornerstone of my plan. I cannot do without you."
"In that case, I shall obey your every bidding!"
Though Duan Li still felt puzzled, he also breathed a sigh of relief.
As Qingyangzi's renown grew greater by the day, the favor he owed had become increasingly difficult to repay. After all, he had originally promised to do everything within his power to repay the life-saving debt, but if asked to lay down his life, how could he possibly be willing? Now that the other man had chosen to exhaust that favor on a minor affair, he naturally had no objections.
"I have only just returned from completing a mission and still need to submit my proof of completion, so please excuse me." Duan Li cupped his hands in greeting and departed the side hall ahead of him.
After he left, Luo Chen remained in the hall, quietly calculating the plans for his trip to Purple Spirit Island.
Regarding Purple Spirit Island, there were three main problems in total!
First was the toxic floral fragrance emitted by the Purple Monkey Flowers.
Second were the more than a dozen Tier 3 Purple Qi Poison Monkeys entrenched there.
Third was that once battle erupted, it would engulf the island and damage the growing environment of the Purple Monkey Flowers.
Throughout this recent period, Luo Chen had been addressing these three problems one by one.
The modified Tier 4 Poison Warding Pills were already concocted, and in sufficient quantity, which would suffice to counter the so-called toxic fragrance.
Next, he had enlisted Sang Jiugong and Lord Lushan, both at the mid Golden Core stage, along with Duan Li, who was at the third layer of Golden Core. Adding himself and Black King, that amounted to five Golden Core combatants! With prior planning, such a lineup was more than enough to handle those Purple Qi Poison Monkeys, who possessed few tricks.
As for the final problem, it was also the most vital point.
After much contemplation, Luo Chen had devised a method.
Using Duan Li's flower basket magic treasure as the core, they would lay down a formation to stabilize the island's earth veins. At the same time, this would be supplemented by a set of Mountain-Suppressing Talismans previously developed by Lord Lushan. In this manner, they could ensure to the greatest extent that Purple Spirit Island's environment would not be devastated by the aftershocks of battle.
Naturally, all these preparations were premised on seizing Purple Spirit Island.
As for how to manage it once taken, Luo Chen still needed to polish his methods further. Purple Spirit Island lay deep within the Monster Sea, quite far from the human heartland. Since he could not stay there over the long term to watch over it, he had to leave behind contingent measures.
*Originally, I intended to leave Black King on Purple Spirit Island to look after the spirit herbs for me. But with the Sunken Sea secret realm involved, I will need helpers even more, so I must find another way.*
*A formation may serve as one option.*
*Yet as for what Purple Spirit Island is truly like, I haven't set foot on it myself, so it's hard to prepare a formation in advance.*
*I should first procure several spare sets of formations and gather the corresponding formation utensils before anything else.*
While Luo Chen was lost in thought, footsteps sounded outside the hall.
He had assumed Duan Li had finished reporting his mission and returned. Yet before the visitor stepped through the doorway, aged laughter drifted in from outside.
"I had originally intended to visit Fellow Daoist at Penghu Lake, but never did I expect our minds would align so harmoniously, with you coming to my door first."
As the laughter carried inside, Diaosou, whom Luo Chen had not seen in a long time, appeared before him.
Luo Chen's brow furrowed slightly before his expression relaxed into a smile. "Diaosou, it has been a long time. I heard you were busy attending to affairs for True Person Blood lately. How did you find the leisure to seek me out at Penghu Lake?"
He had intended to divert the topic.
Yet unexpectedly, it played right into Diaosou's hands.
"What a coincidence! My seeking you out is precisely on account of the True Person's affairs!"
At once, Luo Chen's expression turned solemn.
Diaosou did not beat around the bush, speaking plainly right away.
"I have located the Tier 5 Withered Blood Vine, and am currently gathering hands to retrieve the treasure for True Person Blood. Qingyangzi, you possess vast divine abilities. When the time comes, I must ask you to lend me a hand."
A Tier 5 Withered Blood Vine!
Luo Chen's expression shifted slightly. "Diaosou, are you joking with me? I never accepted that mission from the True Person."
Diaosou's smile faded. "What, are you unwilling?"
Luo Chen shook his head. "It is not that I am unwilling, but that I have other matters to attend to. Furthermore, did Wuzhong Valley not previously vouch for me, granting me exemption from the Demon Hunting Department's missions?"
Diaosou snorted softly. "Matters like that cannot be brought onto the grand stage. When all is calm, you are naturally left to your leisure, but this is a major endeavor personally specified by the True Person. For us, this is a mandatory conscription."
Saying this, his weathered eyes narrowed slightly.
"Qingyangzi, do not forget—you are a Four-Star Demon Hunter!"
Luo Chen fell silent.
Diaosou did not press him, merely finding a chair nearby and sitting down.
After a long while, a quiet voice finally echoed in the hall.
"Is this True Person Blood's order?"
"Yes. He has granted me full authority to mobilize the forces of the Demon Hunting Department. As long as I wish it, everyone must heed my command."
An Eight-Star Demon Hunter was already an actual wielder of authority within the Demon Hunting Department, yet they still had to take orders from the Three Great Loose Cultivators who had founded the Myriad Immortals Association. Now that the True Person had delegated power, Diaosou could naturally act as he pleased.
Moreover, the mission rewards previously announced by Blood Hermit included knowledge related to Nascent Soul condensation. For Diaosou, who had long sought the method to form a Nascent Soul without success, this was a temptation worthy of staking everything on a gamble.
His past friendly relationship with Luo Chen proved as fragile as paper in the face of this mission.
Luo Chen felt a touch of regret over coming to the Demon Hunting Department today.
Yet upon second thought, even if he had not come, Diaosou would have come knocking on his door in person. Penghu Lake was right there. The monk might run, but the temple could not.
Since matters were already set in stone, further resentment and regret were useless.
Luo Chen slowly voiced his misgivings. "A Tier 5 Withered Blood Vine possesses the might of a Nascent Soul. How could the likes of us contend against it? Diaosou, surely you would not throw eggs against a rock!"
Diaosou cast a surprised glance at Luo Chen, not expecting him to take all this into consideration in such a short time. He smiled once more.
"Rest assured, I have no desire to seek my own death."
"For this mission, aside from the two of us, I have also mobilized two Seven-Star Demon Hunters and a late Golden Core great cultivator."
Luo Chen felt a jolt in his heart!
Seven-Star Demon Hunters were, without question, all late Golden Core cultivators. As for that great cultivator, even if they were not a Seven-Star Demon Hunter, their genuine late Golden Core cultivation was an undeniable fact. Such a lineup could undeniably be called an all-out deployment of the Myriad Immortals Association's top-tier combat power, excluding only Nascent Soul cultivators.
What virtue or ability did he possess that made Diaosou regard him as equal in weight to those figures?
*It's my body refinement attainments!*
As if struck by inspiration, Luo Chen realized the reason.
In earlier years, Diaosou had privately exchanged notes on body refinement techniques with him many times. Although Diaosou had made little progress himself, his understanding of Luo Chen had grown with each passing day. A body refinement cultivation on par with a great cultivator's combat strength was precisely why Diaosou held him in such high regard. Furthermore, with Demonic Lord Qingyang's formidable reputation spread far and wide, how could Diaosou pass up such an excellent enforcer?
"Qingyangzi, you need not worry overmuch."
"Aside from the five of us, True Person Blood has also bestowed other means specifically tailored to deal with the Tier 5 Withered Blood Vine."
"For you, this journey carries no danger; it is merely a long trip away from home. Furthermore, upon completing the mission, you will receive contribution points to raise your Demon Hunter star rank. Those Seven-Star Demon Hunters are already too high in rank to advance much further, but you are currently only at four stars, which is enough to advance by an entire major tier."
Diaosou spoke with eloquence, his words brimming with confidence regarding the mission's success.
Under his persuasion, Luo Chen's inner reluctance lessened considerably. Even so, he still had questions to ask before agreeing.
"Where is the mission location? My own affairs are also urgent, so I cannot afford to be delayed for too long."
"What matter of yours is so urgent?" Diaosou asked casually.
Luo Chen did not answer.
Diaosou chuckled and retrieved a jade slip from his robes. Seeing Luo Chen reach out to take it, he paused and held onto it tightly.
"Let us swear a minor oath: the details of this trip must not be leaked."
Luo Chen furrowed his brow, having no choice but to use his divine sense alongside Diaosou to establish a minor secrecy oath. Such an oath was not particularly binding, but should either party leak the information, the other would immediately sense it. As such, the consequences of a leak could well be imagined.
Taking the jade slip from Diaosou's hand, Luo Chen sank his divine sense into it and examined it thoroughly.
"Departing from the Myriad Immortals Association, head eastward... crossing seven mountains and five seas... until reaching Withered Wood Ridge."
"You've finished reading it, yes? Return it to me!"
Diaosou took back the jade slip and added, "As for the specific departure date, I will notify you all in three months. Use these three months to prepare in advance and adjust your condition. Though the mission is said to be free of danger, should an unexpected turn occur, you will still have to rely on yourselves. I am not offering any guarantees."
"By the way, as for the other three companions, you have lived in seclusion these past years and likely do not know them. They are... haha, my mind is truly getting muddled from busyness—how could you possibly be unfamiliar with Huangfu Song?"
Listening to Diaosou name the three and describe their origins, Luo Chen's expression grew somewhat strange.
Diaosou assumed he merely felt awkward about traveling alongside Huangfu Song and did not think much of it, departing in haste after giving a few more reminders.
Luo Chen took his leave from the Demon Hunting Department alone.
Walking down the broad street, the strange look on Luo Chen's face gradually faded.
*It's actually on the way!*
If he had not misread the map within the jade slip, the route led in the exact same direction as Purple Spirit Island.
It was merely a matter of one coming before the other.
Withered Wood Ridge was ahead, while Purple Spirit Island lay behind it.
In a flash, a spark of clarity ignited in Luo Chen's mind.
*Right! Black King mentioned that on his route to Purple Spirit Island, he had taken quite a detour specifically to avoid an extremely perilous mountain ridge. Looking at it now, it was clearly Withered Wood Ridge, where the Tier 5 Withered Blood Vine resides.*
Once he understood this, Luo Chen's mind grew lively.
As a forging master, he had essentially lived in seclusion at Penghu Lake over these years. If he were to leave abruptly, not only would it draw unwanted attention, but it would also be difficult to explain to Wuzhong Valley, the Zhou family, and the Chen family. If someone perceptive took notice and uncovered the matter of the Purple Monkey Flowers, it was entirely possible that a knowledgeable individual might deduce Luo Chen's intentions. At that point, it would easily invite disaster upon him.
Yet if he departed under compulsory conscription in the name of Blood Hermit's mission, there would naturally be little controversy. Even if people were curious, their attention would only fall upon the renowned Blood Hermit.
*Three months, is it?*
*I should have Lord Lushan and the others set out ahead of time, then,*
Luo Chen mused inwardly.
***
After returning from the Demon Hunting Department, Luo Chen shut his doors once more.
Only a vast quantity of materials was gathered from the Zhang family and delivered through Tianxuan's hands into the Alchemy and Forging Hall.
Outsiders were indeed monitoring Luo Chen's movements at all times.
To Wuzhong Valley and the Zhou family, they assumed Luo Chen was busy refining defensive magic treasures for them.
To Ding Yi and Cave Master Moyun of Mount Moyun, they thought Luo Chen was frantically crafting a Black Turtle treasure to cross the Sunken Sea.
Diaosou also learned of Luo Chen's activities through his subordinates. Upon hearing the news, he merely smiled; with Luo Chen this busy, it seemed he was truly taking the mission to heart.
Three months flashed by in the blink of an eye.
On this day, Ding Yi found time to pay Luo Chen a personal visit, only to be informed by Tianxuan that he had already departed.
"It is a compulsory mission from the Demon Hunting Department; my master had no choice."
Ding Yi was stunned. His face darkening with uncertainty, he left behind only a single sentence: "Once your master returns, have him come to Mount Moyun at once."
By the looks of it, he was in quite a rush.
Aside from Ding Yi, Zhou Shanshan also came to visit accompanied by a young Golden Core cultivator of the Zhou family, likewise meeting with closed doors. Both were displeased. But later, upon returning to the Zhou family and learning a few inside details, their resentment gradually dissipated.
Blood Hermit's overbearing nature had always been famous throughout the Myriad Immortals Association. Aside from Moon Hermit, few cultivators within the association dared defy a mission he issued. Even major factions with Nascent Soul cultivators, such as Wuzhong Valley and the Zhou family, were no exception.
This was solely because Blood Hermit was a mid Nascent Soul cultivator, possessing the glorious record of having escaped from the hands of a late Nascent Soul great cultivator. The ancestors of Wuzhong Valley, the Coral Sea Zhou family, and the Tianqu Chen family were merely early Nascent Soul cultivators; how could they dare cross him?
Setting aside whatever troubles lay behind them, Luo Chen was introduced by Diaosou to the two Seven-Star Demon Hunters who would accompany them.
"Envoy Gouxing, adept in starlight arts, hailing from the now-annihilated Heavenly Demon Star Sect."
Luo Chen was greatly astonished as he looked upon the dignified man robed in radiant stars.
"Could it be the Heavenly Demon Star Sect of three hundred years ago, renowned for slaying countless monsters and using monster cores as stars?"
Hearing someone commemorate his fallen sect, Envoy Gouxing wore a bitter smile.
"Merely past glory. Today, it is nothing more than a handful of yellow earth, and even our mountain gate has been buried beneath the vast ocean."
"My condolences."
Luo Chen sighed emotionally, this expression of condolences coming straight from the heart.
The Northern Sea possessed numerous spirit veins, which in turn gave rise to an endless succession of sects and clans. The Heavenly Demon Star Sect was among the most illustrious of them. This sect had maintained an excellent relationship with the Yuan Demon Sect, and even its former territory was adjacent to the Yuan Demon Sect's domain. The disciples within possessed numerous techniques specifically countering monster beasts, and took pride in the quantity of monsters they slew.
Yet three hundred years ago, the Heavenly Demon Star Sect was breached by a mighty monster beast. Casualties were innumerable, leaving virtually no surviving disciples. At the time, outsiders assumed the Heavenly Demon Star Sect had provoked a great monster it should not have touched. Only later did they belatedly realize that it might simply have been the Northern Sea's monster beasts preemptively clipping the Yuan Demon Sect's wings in preparation for a counterattack.
After Envoy Gouxing, the other person was a taciturn burly man.
Luo Chen only knew his name was Dao Lan, an emblematic rogue cultivator within the Myriad Immortals Association who rarely ventured out. Or rather, it was not that he rarely ventured out, but that he was perpetually stationed at the Flowing Ocean Defense Line executing garrison missions.
According to rumors outside, Dao Lan was the figure most likely to advance to Eight-Star Demon Hunter next. He was an ascetic among rogue cultivators! Moreover, he used battle and tempering as his means of cultivation. His thick aura of slaughter warned strangers to keep their distance.
After meeting the two accompanying Seven-Star Demon Hunters, Luo Chen could not help but marvel inwardly.
For this mission, Diaosou had truly gone to great lengths!
A former expert from a superior sect, a top-tier powerhouse from the first defense line, plus himself who specialized in body refinement—oh, and one more person.
Luo Chen glanced at the tightly shut room on the flying boat.
Huangfu Song was inside. He was arrogant indeed, showing no intention of even coming out to greet them. Yet this display of arrogance seemed somewhat out of place on the verge of embarking on a mission.
*Speaking of which, Empress Zi once said she would have him come to my door to pour tea and apologize. Could that be the reason he refuses to step outside?*
For some inexplicable reason, Luo Chen let out a light chuckle.
Diaosou shot Luo Chen a strange look. With a Nascent Soul True Person's mission imminent, everyone else was exceedingly cautious, yet this Qingyangzi appeared remarkably at ease.
Clapping his hands, Diaosou declared loudly, "With the mission at hand, let me first introduce the situation at Withered Wood Ridge to you in detail, lest unexpected complications arise when the time comes."
As he spoke, a strand of divine sense also extended outward from behind the tightly shut door.
Seeing this, the four Golden Core cultivators exchanged glances.
He wasn't a fool after all!
Chapter 631