Islands Shattered, Array Broken, Mountain Master Slain!

Luo Chen dared to venture out without Han Zhan and roam the monster-infested depths of the Northern Sea precisely because he had cards to rely on. His formidable combat prowess was one; his transcendent flight speed was another. Even without unleashing the Heavenly Roc Transformation, the Poyue Wings combined with Ninety Thousand Li gave him an escape speed far surpassing that of ordinary Core Formation cultivators. Given even a moment to manifest the true Heavenly Roc form, perhaps only Nascent Soul True Persons could hope to catch him. Yet now, that very reliance had been broken! Luo Chen could feel a powerful sealing and suppressing force crashing down from the colossal mountain in the sky. Under that immense pressure, his flight speed plummeted. Had it been only this, he could still have transformed and flown away. Beneath his feet, however, another terrifying gravitational force dragged at him ceaselessly. With the two forces combined, Luo Chen was reduced to moving at a snail's pace. With a grim expression, Luo Chen swept his gaze once more over the colossal mountain floating slowly in the heavens. He recognized this mountain. It was the very treasure mountain that the Mountain Master of Baizao Mountain had wielded years ago to launch a ferocious assault on the Sea-Sealing Bagua Array. Back then, Luo Chen had used an array to resist; now, his opponent used an array to suppress him. Truly, karmic retribution never missed its mark! Furthermore, it was evident that this grand array, centered around the Mountain Master's Natal Magical Treasure, was far more than a simple spatial lock and suppression; once fully unleashed, it would likely bring even deadlier methods to bear. Indeed, once one's methods were exposed to outsiders, it became all too easy to be countered. Luo Chen raised his head and looked toward the sky. "Since you won't let me leave, I'll just slaughter you!" A ferocious expression flashed across Luo Chen's face, and he shot toward Liang Baizao. "Transform!" He curled his fingers with one hand, forming an incantation gesture. Beneath his Daoist robe, his muscles began to writhe and swell—one zhang, two zhang, three zhang... all the way to a towering nine zhang! His originally white Daoist robe shifted from white to ink-black, turning into an archaic black suit of battle armor that enveloped his entire body, leaving almost nothing uncovered from soles to face. The Poyue Wings expanded accordingly, flanking him like the wings of a god or fiend. Having completed the transformation, Luo Chen thrust out a claw. Mid-air, his hands wove continuous seals. As he closed within a li, he struck out with an open palm. Surging magic power coalesced into an azure palm print that slammed downward with a thunderous roar. Whoosh! Blazing suns manifested behind him one after another, brilliant spheres illuminating the night sky. Nine blazing suns crashed down alongside this palm strike, forming a terrifying, awe-inspiring spectacle. Madness flickered in Luo Chen's eyes. His hand seals shifted abruptly, and he barked, "Landslide!" Boom! In the next instant, the mountain upon which Liang Baizao stood detonated violently. The vast concussive force sent magma and shattered stone splattering in all directions like torrential rain. Amidst the storm of debris, a figure staggered, seemingly unable to keep his footing. Witnessing this, Liang Baizao's expression turned grave. He thrust out a single palm, and a brownish-yellow shield expanded instantly, fending off every threat descending from above. After the violent collision, the shield's spiritual glow had merely dimmed slightly. Evidently, it was at least a high-grade defensive magical treasure! The shield was exceptionally resilient; even with Luo Chen's formidable spells stacked together, they could not completely shatter its protective power. Had it been an ordinary Core Formation cultivator subjected to Luo Chen's three-spell barrage and relentless chained assault, few could have survived. But the Mountain Master of Baizao Mountain was clearly no mediocrity. Putting aside how many protective treasures he carried as the head of a major artifact-crafting sect, his eighth-layer Core Formation cultivation alone demanded Luo Chen's wariness. Following the simultaneous unleashing of the three arts— Whiz! A figure suddenly halted midair, paying no heed to the falling rocks raining down around him as his weathered eyes fixed upon Luo Chen. With a sharp shout, his beard and hair whipped wildly without wind. Clang! A crisp ring of clashing metal suddenly echoed through the air. Looking closely, gripped tightly in the giant's palm was an azure flying sword. The flying sword writhed relentlessly in his grasp, struggling like a fish caught in a net. "A mere mid-grade magical treasure flying sword won't take Luo's life! Mountain Master, aren't you underestimating me a bit too much?" "To catch my Seven Fiends Soul-Seizing Sword bare-handed... Demonic Lord Qingyang, you have grown stronger!" In just the first exchange, both sides had gone all out. Luo Chen did not press the pursuit, landing calmly instead. "Indeed, I have grown stronger, whereas over these years you have regressed. In this battle, defeat will surely be yours!" Even as he spoke, Luo Chen channeled titanic strength in an attempt to crush the flying sword in his grip. Ear-piercing screeches and grinding groans echoed continuously from his palm. Sensing Luo Chen's intent through the mental bond between treasure and master, the Mountain Master's face hardened. "Don't you dare!" His hands formed a seal, and he barked, "Break!" Bang! With a muffled blast, Luo Chen frowned and involuntarily opened his fist, watching the azure flying sword tumble erratically back toward the old man. *Still not enough?* His physique was now many times stronger than in the past, easily capable of tanking attacks from mid-grade magical treasures bare-handed. Yet tanking an attack was one thing; crushing one remained out of reach. In particular, the Mountain Master had just ignited the fiend energy latent within the blade to forcibly tear free from his grip. Once the sword returned to his side, the Mountain Master breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Yet as he looked back at Luo Chen, the solemnity in his eyes deepened. After failing to hunt Luo Chen down in the past, he had returned to Lengguang Island, tracked down the eldest of the Wu family, and sought out bystanders who had witnessed Luo Chen fight to gather detailed intelligence on his methods. He knew well that Luo Chen possessed terrifying attainments in speed, strength, and spellcasting. Aside from defensive abilities, he had virtually no weaknesses. Furthermore, the Mountain Master had personally experienced the man's illusion art. Such a being, even at merely the mid Core Formation stage, was exceedingly difficult to handle. Thus, he had spent years meticulously planning, deploying the Big Dipper Seven Mountains Array using his Natal Magical Treasure, Baizao Mountain, coupled with the geographic advantage of the Seven Star Islands to suppress Luo Chen's speed and rob him of his greatest combat edge. He had thought that this would make Luo Chen a turtle trapped in a jar. Yet hearsay was always merely hearsay; the man's combat experience and battlefield instincts still exceeded his expectations. The preceding volley of three simultaneous spells had caught him off-guard and inflicted light injuries. He had intended to wound Luo Chen amidst the chaos with his flying sword, only for the man to nearly destroy his prized weapon instead. *This brat cannot be treated like a normal Core Formation cultivator. I must go all out!* With that fleeting thought, the Mountain Master discarded all further probing. His sleeves billowed as his hands rapidly wove seals. Behind him, seven flying swords shimmering with brilliant light circled and darted like swallows. "Go!" Joining his fingers like a blade, he pointed downward. His target: the nine-zhang giant! Luo Chen showed no fear whatsoever. He strode forward, sprinting across the earth. Facing the seven hurtling flying swords, his hands struck out repeatedly. Fist winds churned, giant palms swept across, and his ten fingers flicked like rapid harp plucking. His Cloud-Seeking Divine Claw constantly stirred the winds and clouds to deflect the flying swords' angles of attack, even attempting to snatch them again. Under his relentless maneuvering, the seven fiend-laden blades could not get close to him. Watching this, the Mountain Master's eyelids twitched violently. These seven flying swords had been forged together, nurtured together, and advanced into mid-grade magical treasures together as a matched set; their collective might surpassed even high-grade offensive treasures. Yet under his control, they could not even touch the man's body. Just what level had this Demonic Lord Qingyang's body refinement reached? *No!* *The suppression is still not enough!* *He is still too agile!* Gazing at the giant running across the hills and plains, the Mountain Master hardened his resolve. He reached toward the heavens and pulled downward with all his might. "Suppress!" From the highest reaches of the sky, Baizao Mountain rumbled downward. The chain of Seven Star Islands reverberated with deep groans. The surrounding sea churned into towering waves that rolled furiously toward the islands' shores. Luo Chen's stride grew heavier and slower. An immense pressure bore down from above, while a terrifying gravity seized him from beneath his feet. Merged into one, they formed a crushing gravitational field that gradually brought his charge to a halt. Luo Chen's eyes shone brightly as he faintly discerned the true mechanism of this grand array anchored across the Seven Star Islands. With Baizao Mountain as its core, it channeled the earth vein qi of all seven islands; standing within it was like bearing Mount Tai upon one's head while being dragged down by the terrestrial qi. Every living creature would be subjected to the same fate. The Mountain Master remained unaffected only because the array's core was his own Natal Magical Treasure. Even so, maintaining this array had to drain an enormous amount of the old man's magic power. To break it, the only way was to overturn Baizao Mountain! Yet this mountain was interconnected with all seven islands; overturning it meant uprooting seven islands simultaneously. Trapped deep inside, doing so was harder than ascending to the heavens! Luo Chen came to a complete halt. "Neither heaven's timing nor earth's advantage is on my side. Since that is the case, let us pit our foundations against one another!" With a sharp shout, nine crimson chains suddenly burst from his body, clattering through the air to lash out at the seven incoming flying swords. Luo Chen fixed his gaze squarely on the Mountain Master, slamming forward with palm after palm. Colossal azure handprints detonated repeatedly across the void. Even with his formidable speed, the Mountain Master found it impossible to dodge such blanket bombardment and had no choice but to summon his shield to resist. Yet the fierce concussive shockwaves and scorching heatwaves still singed his beard and hair, threatening to ignite him at any moment. *You want to compete in magic power reserves?* After weathering several palm strikes, he saw through Luo Chen's intention, and a sneer touched the corners of his lips. Though his cultivation realm had regressed somewhat over the years, he was still a genuine eighth-layer Core Formation grand cultivator! No matter how swiftly Demonic Lord Qingyang had advanced, he was only at the sixth layer. In a battle of attrition, he had nothing to fear! Moreover, holding up a defensive magical treasure required relatively little magic power, whereas Luo Chen was constantly casting large-scale, destructive spells—how many more could he possibly unleash? Just as he resolved to grind Luo Chen down, his eyes caught sight of something unexpected. A yellow copper coin, round on the outside and square within, landed squarely upon his shield. *When did that—?!* Clang! A soft chime rang out, yet in the Mountain Master's ears, it sounded like a world-shattering roar. The copper coin was knocked back by the rebound and vanished somewhere onto the island, but his protective treasure suffered a heavy jolt and hitched for a single instant. Right then, an explosive boom tore through the sky. The nine-zhang giant previously pinned to the spot took a single step, crossing a hundred zhang in a flash to appear directly above the old man. Gripping a colossal hammer, he smashed it downward from above. Boom! A deafening roar echoed across countless li. Luo Chen crashed heavily onto the earth. His black armor remained intact, but cracks and crimson threads of blood surfaced on his flesh beneath. For someone whose physique had been tempered through a thousand trials to suffer such injuries demonstrated just how dangerous it was to forcibly unleash the Explosive Void Steps under the suppression of the Big Dipper Seven Mountains Array. Yet it had achieved its purpose! Looking through the dust at the trembling figure struggling to rise behind a dimmed shield, Luo Chen strode forward without hesitation, Flowing Fire Hammer in hand. At the same time, dazzling spiritual light erupted from his eyes. *Mirror Flower, Water Moon—open!* He would leave no opening, killing his opponent outright! Across the shattered earth, the giant charged forward, the warhammer blazing like fire, his eyes shining with divine and demonic radiance. Within the haze of dust, the frail old man looked as helpless as a candle in the wind. Yet just as the two were about to clash, the giant's frame suddenly froze. The Mountain Master spat a mouthful of blood and, without a second thought, clenched his fist toward the sky once more. The towering mountain plunged like a falling meteor, shrinking in size as it descended while its destructive power multiplied exponentially. He intended to crush Luo Chen into paste! Then, an unexpected scene unfolded. A small gray cauldron drifted out from above Luo Chen's head, holding up the plunging mountain in the nick of time! *How is this possible? He was countered by the soul-refining measures left by Blood Nightmare Moluo! With his illusion backfiring and Elder Xing's remnant soul assailing his spirit, how does he still have the strength to control a treasure?!* Shock filled the Mountain Master's heart, but his expression turned all the more savage. "Then I shall skin you alive!" Casting aside his dimmed shield, he hooked his fingers. The seven flying swords streaked in from the distance, hurtling toward Luo Chen. Yet just as they reached his body, they struck an invisible wall of air, halted completely! The Mountain Master froze. Glancing at the black armor, a look of sudden realization flashed across his face. "I thought his reputation as an artifact-crafting master was mere flattery from ignorant rogue cultivators, but he truly possesses skill—he actually forged a protective qi armor! Still, such armor cannot withstand my Seven Fiends Swords!" The Seven Fiends Swords were designed specifically to pierce defenses. With a thought, the seven swords swirled into motion, spinning frantically around Luo Chen. A storm of sword blades materialized in an instant! Terrifying slicing power tore ceaselessly into the protective qi armor shielding Luo Chen. At this rate, it looked as though the blades would reach his flesh in less than an hour. Inside the Xuanchen Armor, Luo Chen's eyes were tightly shut as ghastly trails of blood ran down from the corners of his eyes. Within his Sea of Consciousness, the remnant soul of a burly man roared, charging toward his soul's true form. *It's the original master of the Flowing Fire Hammer, the one who died under the Sea-Sealing Bagua Array controlled by Han Zhan! A remnant of his soul was preserved and refined into a trap specifically targeting my illusion arts!* Waking from the agonizing pain, Luo Chen gazed coldly at the incoming remnant soul without the slightest panic. Having his Mirror Flower, Water Moon rebound before he could even manifest its second layer inflicted pain beyond the endurance of ordinary men. But was Luo Chen ordinary? In Qi Refinement he had cultivated Bright Spirit Fiend Breaking; in Foundation Establishment he had weathered heavenly lightning coursing through his flesh; and after Core Formation he had tempered his body day and night without cease. True fire immolation and the torment of Black Emperor Paste had forged an extraordinary threshold of pain. Moreover, years of tempering his body through artifact-forging techniques had hammered his willpower until it was unyielding. A momentary flash of agony was mastered in the blink of an eye. First, he released his Natal Magical Treasure, the Hunyuan Cauldron, to hold off Baizao Mountain's crushing descent, then activated the protective qi armor of his Xuanchen Armor. Now, it was time to resolve the peril within his Sea of Consciousness. Taking his soul as the form and his spirit as the blade, he slashed out with the Great Circle Dragon Slaying Art! It severed qi, severed dragons, and severed spirits! With a single slash, the burly man's remnant soul dissolved into smoke. "Hm?" As it vanished, a faint murmur of surprise seemed to echo. Luo Chen's consciousness returned to his body, regaining full control. Having no time to ponder that familiar murmur, he assessed his predicament. He was trapped! In his sight, a storm of sword qi sliced through everything. Seven sharp blades surged with fiendish energy, battering his protective qi armor endlessly. Even though the qi armor regenerated continuously, it was in grave danger. Countless tiny scratches had already appeared on the Xuanchen Armor itself. *Fortunately, the Xuanchen Armor possesses two layers of defense—the inner armor and the qi armor—so my body remains unharmed.* Luo Chen felt a surge of relief, but the fury in his eyes burned even hotter. In the past, he had always been the one ambushing others, employing myriad tricks to defeat stronger foes. Today, he had fallen into someone else's trap, forced on the defensive and battered at every turn. Had his foundations been less deep or his means less abundant, he would have perished long ago. "Mountain Master of Baizao Mountain!" A low, guttural roar rumbled from his throat. Outside the sword array, the old man sat cross-legged, marshaling the magic power accumulated over many years to sustain the Seven Fiends Sword Array. Though surprised by how quickly Luo Chen had recovered, he showed little panic. "Demonic Lord Qingyang, now that you are trapped within the sword array, your death is already ordained. Why waste your breath in impotent rage?" Luo Chen grinned. "Is that so?" He stomped heavily against the cratered earth. Magic power poured forth, invigorating the protective qi armor until it swelled with renewed vigor. Not only that, but vast streams of earth qi seemed to answer his call, surging uncontrollably into the qi armor to reinforce it. Instantly, the Xuanchen Qi Armor and the Seven Fiends Sword Array locked into a dead stalemate. Luo Chen could not break out, and the Mountain Master could not break in. Upon the battered Second Island of the Seven Stars, a bizarre tableau emerged. A giant stood rooted to the earth, currents of air spiraling around him; a frail old man sat cross-legged, driving a raging tempest of sword qi. Neither dared slacken, and neither would yield. Time slipped away in this deadlock. The pitch-black night gave way unnoticed as the moon sank beneath the waves and the morning sun broke above the horizon. Then, at an unknown moment— Boom! A thunderous crash sounded. Lacking the power to sustain itself, the Seven Fiends Sword Array collapsed into fragments. Returned to his original size, Luo Chen stepped forth. His aura showed no sign of faltering, and his eyes still flashed like lightning. He looked into the distance, where a pathetic old man was fleeing in desperate panic, having abandoned even his seven precious flying swords just to buy time to escape. "Unfortunately, you won't get away!" Luo Chen murmured, preparing to spread his wings in pursuit, only to see three attacks tear through the sky toward the old man. Terrified, the Mountain Master raised his defensive shield, pouring every ounce of strength into withstanding the three blows. Yet immediately afterward, from within the sea, a flood dragon swept its tail down with crushing force. Boom! The battered shield shattered into fragments under the blow. The old man's frail body detonated into a mist of blood, leaving only a dimmed Golden Core attempting to flee—only for the flood dragon to swallow it in a single gulp. Three streaks of escape light cut through the air, revealing Lord Lushan, Sang Jiugong, and Duan Li. "Our apologies, we arrived late." "That bizarre array prevented us from entering. This man's formation mastery was truly formidable." "Qingyangzi, are you alright?" Under their watchful eyes, Luo Chen smiled freely. Before he could speak, cracking sounds rumbled beneath their feet. Amidst violent tremors, the island collapsed completely! Boundless seawater surged inward, washing away every trace of the fierce battle. Nor was it just the island beneath their feet; anomalies erupted across the other six nearby islands as well. Earthquakes raged, mountains crumbled, volcanoes erupted, and beasts fled in panic. Amidst rumbling booms, the six islands fractured continuously, battered by the ocean until they broke into scattered fragments. Watching this, the three newcomers could not help swallowing hard, their gazes toward Luo Chen filling with even greater awe. Sensing the shifts around him, Luo Chen fell into thought. *The earth qi of the Seven Star Islands was bound together by the Mountain Master—they rose together and fell together. Under the combined suction of my Xuanchen Armor and his array, the earth qi was completely drained and the spiritual veins were shattered, dealing a catastrophic blow to the very continental plate.* Having understood this, Luo Chen lingered no longer. With a wave of his hand, several streaks of light flew out from the sea toward him: swords, the mountain, the cauldron, and an inconspicuous copper coin. "Master, that old fellow isn't dead yet; his soul is clinging to life inside the Golden Core!" Amidst the churning waves, the Black King's form bobbed up and down as he called out in a fawning tone, eager to claim credit. Luo Chen glanced at him, sweeping his wide sleeve. "Leave him for now. Let us head to Purple Spirit Island—that is our real business!" With that, he took the lead, flying toward the unfamiliar expanse of sea that was no longer obstructed by any array. Behind him, Lord Lushan and the others exchanged glances before following without a word.