As the personal carriage of successive mountain masters of Baizao Mountain, the Six Imperials Flying Cloud Carriage was far more than merely magnificent and grand on the surface.
It possessed a multitude of practical functions.
Flight was its most fundamental and prominent capability.
It was also capable in both offense and defense, though bringing out its full power required a substantial crew to operate—an awkward limitation for Luo Chen.
However, another feature of this magnificent cloud carriage—its eavesdropping array—proved remarkably useful at this moment.
Relying on the water mirror and jade chime, Luo Chen had gleaned quite a few confidential secrets from the three along the way.
All three hailed from the Central Plains.
Though they addressed one another as fellow disciples, they did not share a single master; rather, they came from three separate families:
Liu, Wu, and Guan.
According to them, the newly risen True Person Longyuan of the Myriad Immortals Association was not some rootless rogue cultivator at all, but hailed from Changfengzi's clan, the Liu family of the Central Plains.
The trio had traveled thousands of li from the Central Plains to the Northern Sea precisely to emulate True Person Longyuan, aiming to earn the rank of Nine-Star Demon Hunter within the Myriad Immortals Association and thereby secure resources for forming their Nascent Souls.
Apart from Changfengzi's slight apprehension, the other two were brimming with confidence, treating the Nine-Star Demon Hunter title as if it were already within their grasp.
Their words oozed arrogance, looking upon the Northern Sea as though it were some backward backwater.
Luo Chen did not know where their confidence came from. While the Central Plains was indeed a land of remarkable people and spiritual energy, the Northern Sea was renowned for its abundant resources and constant emergence of powerhouses. Where did their sense of superiority come from?
Luo Chen paid no further attention to it.
For the remainder of the journey, he threw himself entirely into adjusting his condition.
Though this trip was merely to test his blade, and the enemies he faced would only be demon beasts, he could not afford to let his guard down.
Every opponent deserved to be taken seriously!
Otherwise, it was all too easy to capsize in a ditch.
Besides, these demon beasts were no ignorant, mindless brutes; they were demon experts who had taken part in the battle that annihilated the Soul Formation sacred land, the Yuan Demon Sect, and survived!
...
The cloud carriage continued on its way, passing through the Huanyang Sea Domain and the Quyang Sea Domain before finally arriving at the first defensive line, the Liuyang sea territory.
Before a massive megalithic fortress, the Six Imperials Flying Cloud Carriage slowly descended.
Through the water mirror, Luo Chen watched the surging crowds outside the fortress, sensing an atmosphere of chilling grimness and restless tension.
The moment it touched down, a Foundation Establishment cultivator came forward to greet them.
"Junior Zeng Xiong greets the four seniors!"
Luo Chen stowed the cloud carriage and stepped forward with a wave of his sleeve.
"Take us to see the officer in charge here, Fellow Daoist Shentu!"
As he spoke, he presented his brand-new Five-Star Demon Hunter waist token.
Seeing the star rating on the token, the three behind him reacted differently.
Changfengzi was somewhat puzzled. He had assumed this Qingyangzi, who possessed an official Daoist title, was an extraordinary powerhouse, so why was his Demon Hunter rank merely five stars?
Wu Tao and Guan Xiaoping exchanged a glance, their lips curling in slight disdain.
In their view, a cultivator's strength in the Myriad Immortals Association was directly tied to their Demon Hunter star rank.
Anyone below seven stars was nothing special, merely an ordinary rogue cultivator.
Earlier, Senior Brother Changfengzi had told them to show Luo Chen some respect, but now it seemed entirely unnecessary.
After inspecting Luo Chen's token, Zeng Xiong's gaze fell upon the three behind him.
"To prevent demons skilled in illusory shapeshifting from infiltrating Taiping Fortress, all newcomers must present their identity tokens. Please forgive the intrusion, seniors."
Luo Chen turned to the three, giving them a look indicating they should cooperate.
Changfengzi gave a low grunt of assent and produced his waist medallion, injecting magic power to activate it and prove his ownership.
Three white stars shimmered faintly.
Wu Tao and Guan Xiaoping followed suit, though their expressions stiffened slightly when their three stars flickered to life.
Perhaps in their eyes, having such a low star rating was rather embarrassing—
especially under Luo Chen's gaze.
Luo Chen felt nothing of the sort. The Association had only recently reformed the system; otherwise, anyone joining the Demon Hunting Department had to climb rank by rank from one star.
Three stars was actually quite decent.
Seeing this, the guard Zeng Xiong's eyes lit up.
With four Gold Core Masters arriving all at once, the pressure of clearing out the demon beasts of the Sunken Sea would surely ease considerably.
"Seniors, this way, please!"
Luo Chen nodded and strode forward.
The three followed closely behind, their eyes taking in the scenery of the fortress.
Luo Chen did the same, occasionally asking Zeng Xiong about the state of Taiping Fortress.
"I see this fortress is stained with blood and thick with baleful aura. How did it come to have such a peaceful name?"
"'Taiping'—meaning Grand Peace—was chosen by the Mad Hermit of our Myriad Immortals Association during one of his lucid moments. It carries the hope that holding this place against demon invasions will preserve peace for the human race behind us."
"How many cultivators are permanently garrisoned here?"
"Junior has never looked into the exact count, but ordinarily there are at least three thousand permanently stationed here! Recently, the Blood Hermit issued an order, multiplying the number of cultivators several times over, with as many as ten thousand coming and going. However, most of them have headed to the Sunken Sea, so not many remain here."
"The two rear defensive lines each have three permanently stationed Gold Core guardians. What about here?"
"Three as well, though Senior Dao Lan is an exception. He uses the demons to whet his blade and has been stationed here year-round, so altogether that makes four."
"How many Gold Core cultivators have arrived recently?"
"The exact number isn't clear, as some seniors returned early after completing their allotted demon beast hunting quotas. But as far as I know, there should be around forty to fifty."
"So many? That's half of the Association's Gold Cores."
"Not quite, Senior. Those hailing purely from our Myriad Immortals Association are not actually that numerous; a portion was dispatched by the three factions, including Wuzhong Valley."
Luo Chen nodded thoughtfully.
The Myriad Immortals Association had nearly a hundred Gold Core cultivators, including many pseudo-core cultivators, but that tally did not include the powerhouses from Wuzhong Valley, the Tianqu Chen family, or the Coral Sea Zhou family.
The Gold Core experts of those three factions normally cultivated on their own turf, joining the Myriad Immortals Association in battle only during wartime.
Reaching the fortress gate, Luo Chen looked up at the blood-red fortress that looked as though it were cast from iron, his gaze settling on the square openings running across the center of the walls.
"Oh? Why are there openings in the middle of the city walls?"
It was no wonder Luo Chen was curious. In his lifetime, he had seen many immortal cities. To maintain the integrity of defensive formations, apart from the essential gates facing the four directions, walls were almost always solid bastions, rarely perforated.
Constructing Taiping Fortress this way, were they not worried that flaws would form in the formation, allowing it to be breached by force?
Zeng Xiong immediately explained, "Those openings are reserved for the Tianyuan Spiritual Energy Cannons. Once the number of demon beasts becomes excessive and threatens the fortress, the cannons are activated to unleash large-scale saturation strikes."
"Tianyuan Spiritual Energy Cannons?" Luo Chen was surprised. He had heard of spiritual energy cannons—Tianfan City had deployed such magical artifacts on the Sky Drum Plain battlefield back then—but why were the cannons here at Taiping Fortress given a specific name, and such a sensitive one at that?
Zeng Xiong's answer confirmed Luo Chen's suspicion.
"These Tianyuan Spiritual Energy Cannons were purchased in bulk by our Myriad Immortals Association from the Tianyuan Business Alliance. Supposedly, they are formidable magical artifacts developed by the Tianyuan Dao Sect of the Central Plains. Seventy years ago, at the height of the beast tide, they were fired once. A thousand cannons discharged simultaneously with might rivaling the full-strength blow of a Nascent Soul Perfected Person—truly terrifying!"
As he spoke, Zeng Xiong sighed with admiration.
Luo Chen clicked his tongue in wonder, though his brows twitched when his peripheral vision caught the three behind him wearing expressions of shared pride.
With that attitude, could they be from the Tianyuan Dao Sect?
Or perhaps they had ties of kinship and alliance with it?
Luo Chen's speculation did not last long. Soon, they entered Taiping Fortress and met the person in charge.
Shentu, eighth layer of the Gold Core stage, one of the few Seven-Star Demon Hunters in the Myriad Immortals Association.
Dressed in ordinary robes, his complexion carried a metallic golden sheen that complemented Luo Chen's ruddy face.
Upon seeing Luo Chen, Shentu was exceptionally warm.
Naturally, Luo Chen put on no airs of a master blacksmith and conversed warmly with him.
After exchanging pleasantries, he stated his purpose.
"Heading toward the Sunken Sea?" Shentu nodded understandingly. "Nearly all our fellow Daoists arriving recently are heading there. It is simple enough for you to go, Fellow Daoist, but there is one thing I must clarify beforehand."
"Please, Fellow Daoist Shentu."
"It is merely the old rule from when you joined the Demon Hunting Department: any demon beasts slain on the battlefield, unless kept for personal use, must be sold to the department if you intend to sell them."
Luo Chen was not surprised. "Understood."
Shentu looked toward the other three. "And you three? Are you also bound for the Sunken Sea battlefield?"
Earlier, Shentu had conversed warmly with Luo Chen while treating the three somewhat coolly, which had already bred dissatisfaction in the two younger ones.
Wu Tao snorted. "Of course. Why else would we travel thousands of li to this place?"
Guan Xiaoping added impatiently, "You've met us and checked our identities. Are we done? If there's nothing else, we'll be on our way."
Changfengzi's lips moved as if to say something, but in the end, he only nodded.
Shentu's expression remained unchanged, not showing the slightest anger at the discontent in their tone. He merely beckoned Zeng Xiong at the door, gave a few instructions, and had him guide the three toward the Sunken Sea battlefield.
With their departure, the hall grew quiet.
Yet the conversation between Luo Chen and Shentu remained as cordial as before.
"Here is a bottle of pills I concocted in my spare time. The quality is decent. As this is our first meeting, please accept it as a modest gift, Fellow Daoist."
Shentu was somewhat surprised, caught off guard that the Master Qingyangzi of rumors—aloof and detached from worldly affairs—could be so worldly and courteous.
Taking the jade bottle and catching a whiff of the rich pill aroma, his eyes widened slightly.
"Third-rank mid-grade pills! Who would have thought Master Qingyangzi, renowned throughout the Myriad Immortals Association for blacksmithing, is also an accomplished alchemist!"
Luo Chen smiled faintly. "Alchemy and forging share common principles. It is merely a side hobby; I hardly deserve such praise, Fellow Daoist."
Shentu put away the bottle, his expression turning solemn.
"I will not accept your gift for nothing. If there is anything you require, speak plainly."
A straightforward man!
Luo Chen wasted no time.
"The warfare at the Sunken Sea has dragged on for two or three years, consuming vast amounts of manpower and resources from the Myriad Immortals Association, yet the demon beasts inside remain endless. I need to know why.
"In addition, I wish to know the distribution of the demon beasts there, as well as the abilities of the formidable demon kings."
Hearing this, Shentu frowned, then nodded slowly.
"That is simple enough."
...
The next day, after resting and regrouping, Luo Chen flew northwest alone aboard his escape light.
In his mind echoed the intelligence Shentu had shared earlier:
"The demon-sealing grand formation of the Arctic Yama Heavens originally had two layers. One was laid down by the Soul Refining lineage's Soul Formation Patriarch of the Yuan Demon Sect before his death, and the other was established later by Li Canghai, the newly risen powerhouse of the Northern Sea. The former restricts those of the fourth rank and above from escaping, and it remains effective to this day. The latter, however, was mostly unraveled thirty years ago.
"Consequently, over these past thirty years, more and more low-rank demon beasts have broken free.
"At first, their escape caused us immense concern. But we later observed them gathering inside Taohai Ruined City without assaulting the Three Oceans Defensive Line. Only recently did we realize they were not staying put—they were quietly relocating to the Sunken Sea.
"Demon beasts continuously breaking free from the Arctic Yama Heavens is the primary reason the fighting at the Sunken Sea never ends."
Upon learning this intelligence, Luo Chen did not doubt its authenticity.
Back when he undertook the garrison mission at the Quyang Defensive Line, he had already heard related rumors.
Pieced together now, everything aligned.
The only question lingering in Luo Chen's mind was just how many demon beasts were sealed within the Arctic Yama Heavens!
Over a century ago, the demon race purportedly amassed an army of hundreds of millions to lay siege to the Yuan Demon Sect.
That battle wiped out the Yuan Demon Sect entirely!
The Yuan Demon Sect had three Soul Formation Patriarchs. Aside from the Blood Sea Patriarch, who was away from the sect at the time, the Soul Refining Patriarch sacrificed his remnant body to form a barrier, harnessing the terrain to sever inside from out, while the Yuan Demon Patriarch's fate remained unknown.
Beyond the Soul Formation powerhouses, the remaining disciples of the Yuan Demon Sect—barring a few roaming outside—all perished within the sect grounds.
It sounded terrifying, a resounding triumph for the demon race.
Yet the Yuan Demon Sect was no soft persimmon. As a premier sect renowned for demonic arts, its death throes must have unleashed earth-shattering power.
In that cataclysm, how much of that hundred-million-strong demon army could have survived?
If their numbers were small, even if both seal formations in the north were breached hundreds or thousands of years later, the escaping demon powerhouses would not pose too great a threat to the human side.
If so, Luo Chen could continue cultivating in peace within the Myriad Immortals Association.
But if the Yuan Demon Sect had failed to drag down many demon beasts before its destruction, Luo Chen would have to consider finding another place to cultivate.
"That is all too far in the future. Perhaps I am worrying over nothing."
Luo Chen shook his head, his escape light coming to a halt atop a solitary peak.
Looking into the distance, a meandering line seemed to have been drawn across the vast ocean horizon.
On either side of the line, the waters were distinctly divided.
One side was azure blue, the other murky and black.
"Is that... the Sunken Sea?"
Gazing at the murky black waters, Luo Chen took a deep breath, then retrieved an animal-hide map from his storage ring.
It was a simplified map of demon troop distributions in the Sunken Sea, sent over by Shentu's men just before his departure.
Dense clusters of dots covered its surface, with several dozen locations marked in red.
Every red mark denoted a formidable third-rank demon king!
Luo Chen swept his divine sense into the map, and the corresponding details swiftly surfaced in his mind.
Suddenly,
his divine sense paused, settling on one of the red marks.
[Sea-Overturning Demon Flood Dragon: Late third-rank great demon king. Adept in water manipulation, with a solitary horn atop its head capable of unleashing demonic arts. Possesses severe suppressive advantages against fire-attribute cultivators. If encountered without late Gold Core cultivation, fleeing is advised.]
"This is the one!"
Luo Chen's eyes lit up slightly as wisps of fighting intent radiated from him.
This would make a fine opponent to test his blade!
Chapter 643