Luo Chen, Would You Be Willing to Join My Pill Hall?

Within the quiet passageway, the crisp sound of three sets of footsteps echoed. Suddenly, a snap broke the silence. Ding Yi stopped in his tracks and looked toward the bone on the ground. "Is this the so-called Graveyard of Turtles?" The bone was unmistakably the skeletal remains left behind by a deceased Xuan Turtle desolate beast. Beside him, Cave Master Moyun sighed with emotion. "Over countless millions of years, an immense number of Xuan Turtle corpses were buried here, giving birth to the Void Burning Wind. That True Monarch then utilized artifact refining and formation techniques to expand this wind until it enveloped the entire Sunken Sea. What an unfathomable grand divine ability!" As he spoke, he and Ding Yi exchanged a tacit glance, their peripheral vision flickering toward Luo Chen walking between them. Yet Luo Chen kept his eyes straight ahead, seemingly entirely uninterested in these Xuan Turtle remains. Of course, the Xuan Turtle remains scattered throughout the corridor had long decayed into useless scrap, devoid of value. The true source that generated and amplified the Void Burning Wind was not located here. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the two of them, Luo Chen was conversing rapidly with Han Zhan. "Senior, did you know all along that this was the resting place of a fallen Void Refining True Monarch?" "I had that conjecture; otherwise, I would not have taken the initiative to come." "On what basis?" "Quite simple. Do you still remember what I told you years ago regarding secret realms?" Memories surged through Luo Chen's mind, and a thread of understanding gradually formed. "You once said that a Nascent Soul True Person cannot easily enter the burial grounds of Soul Formation mighty figures. Within such places, the power of laws comprehended by those mighty figures during life permeates the surroundings, easily disrupting Nascent Soul cultivators who have yet to grasp lawful power." "Correct, exactly so. Your memory serves you well," Han Zhan said with a chuckle, a hint of anticipation creeping into his tone. "Therefore, when I learned of a ruin that left Soul Formation sacred grounds utterly helpless, yet Nascent Soul cultivators could freely enter and leave, I understood that it must be a secret realm left behind by an existence above the Soul Formation realm at the very least." Luo Chen frowned in puzzlement. "Would the burial ground of a True Monarch not affect the cultivation of Nascent Soul cultivators even more?" "Ah, you still fail to comprehend the profound meaning behind the words 'Void Refining'!" "Oh? Junior is eager to learn the details," Luo Chen asked humbly. Han Zhan did not withhold anything and offered his guidance freely. "The so-called Void Refining involves refining illusory laws into concrete, tangible form, attaining absolute mastery over the enigmatic power of laws! Consequently, this realm is also known as the Image Form Realm or the Dharma Form Realm. Under that terrifying degree of control, even if they perish, the laws they leave behind will not perturb those who have yet to comprehend laws. On the contrary, Soul Formation cultivators who have merely dipped their toes into the dao of laws will suffer absolute suppression." Void Refining? Laws? Image Form? Absolute control? Confronted by these profound, somewhat nebulous concepts of higher realms, Luo Chen felt his head swell. He could not help but ask, "Senior, you are merely one realm above me, and you were not a disciple of any sacred ground. How is it that you know such classified secrets in such vivid detail?" "You call this detailed?" Han Zhan chuckled softly. "It is merely the simplest of summaries." Pausing briefly, he continued with a touch of wistful melancholy in his voice. "The founding patriarch of our Luoyun Sect acquired his legacy from the immortal cave of an ancient cultivator, which allowed him to establish the sect. Among the relics of that ancient cultivator were descriptions of these cultivation realms. This old man is merely repeating what predecessors left behind." *So that was it.* During the ancient war between humans and demons, countless ancient cultivators had fallen. Seas turned into mulberry fields, and the world transformed; countless enlightened true cultivators were buried beneath the dust of history. When later generations stumbled upon their legacies, some rose to prominence for a time, while others established sects—all of it owed to those ancestral blessings. In the past, whenever Luo Chen was wary of secret realms and perilous domains, it was never because his heart was unmoved, but because he always kept in mind that benefits came hand in hand with risks. After all, ancient cultivator ruins were never watched by him alone. Even this time, his plan was merely to seize an opportunity to retreat once he secured the Five Elements Lotus Platform. Yet questions still lingered in his chest. "Ding Yi claimed that the ancient cultivator who passed away in this Land of the Fallen Demon was perhaps the strongest Void Refining True Monarch of all time. I do not understand how he earned such a reputation. And how could such an overwhelming powerhouse perish within this realm? Can the Mountain Sea Realm, whose limits only permit cultivation up to the Soul Formation stage, even accommodate him? Moreover, where did the word 'Demon' originate? Could it be that this individual was also a demonic cultivator? If so, the ruins he left behind are unlikely to be welcoming!" Luo Chen had raised many of these doubts before, but even Ding Yi had been unable to offer concrete answers. At this moment, Han Zhan seemed equally at a loss, sinking into a long silence. Silence... "Hmm?" Luo Chen halted mid-step and jerked his head up. Blood flowed freely, and corpses were piled high like mountains. A young man stood holding a sword, his back turned to Luo Chen. He turned around slowly, looking at Luo Chen with confusion. "Demonic Lord Qingyang? Luo Hai?" Staring at that unfamiliar yet faintly recognizable face, Luo Chen asked hesitantly, "He Yuan?" Yet in the very next instant, a piercing chill of terror shot straight to the crown of his head. "Blood Nightmare Moluo!" Blood Nightmare Moluo nodded. "It seems you still remember this old man!" The tip of his sword flicked, angling straight toward Luo Chen. "I will give you one more chance: submit to me." Luo Chen's brow furrowed, devoid of hesitation. The Golden Core within him rotated, amplified by the Hunyuan Cauldron, and a vast surge of magic power instantly billowed outward. The Senluo Fire Purgatory manifested once more! Standing tall within the flames, Luo Chen raised a hand and struck out across the air. A colossal palm print surged forth with overwhelming momentum. Blood Nightmare Moluo moved to resist, yet under the suppression of the fire purgatory, he was horrified to discover the magic power within his body churning in wild turmoil, nearly impossible to mobilize. He dodged in a fluster. Yet the azure handprint was already descending upon him. *Boom!* A deafening explosion rang out. Luo Chen strode over to his side, looking down at the battered, dying young man, and shook his head slightly. "Had Blood Nightmare appeared in person, I might have needed to tread cautiously. But you are merely an avatar—how dare you spout such arrogant nonsense? Heh..." With a cold laugh, an azure flame blossomed from his hand, reducing the man at his feet to ashes. Without lingering, Luo Chen executed an escape art and flew toward the distance. Before he knew it, the sky had dimmed, and a bright moon gradually hung high above. Luo Chen looked up at the bright moon. Beneath his feet lay a small island surrounded by a ten-li tranquil lake. *Raising a cup to invite the moon, facing one's shadow makes three.* A sallow-faced man knelt on one knee before Luo Chen. "Fellow Daoist, please spare Yan's life! Your assault on Yaoyue Island was merely for this cultivation ground. I am willing to surrender it with both hands, asking only to preserve my life!" Gazing at Yan Nantian's bowed head, Luo Chen felt a slight flicker of intent. After a long pause, he said coldly, "I can spare your life, but you must submit to me and serve at my behest for a hundred years. If you refuse, this seat's sword will show no mercy." As he spoke, he raised the Profound Fire Sword slightly. Faced with this shameless bandit who seized his property and now demanded his servitude, Yan Nantian's expression turned wretched. Yet after a long silence, he conceded powerlessly. A faint smile appeared on Luo Chen's face. "Splendid. Having one more Golden Core cultivator to run errands for me is quite wonderful." Without him realizing, the aura about his body was continually unraveling, quickly falling below the Golden Core realm. Descending from high in the sky, he found himself amidst a rugged, rocky landscape. Ahead lay an empty valley enclosed by mountains. Several Foundation Establishment True Cultivators fought their own battles. Luo Chen dashed skyward, sword in hand, sweeping toward a man's neck to decapitate him. The man's eyes filled with terror. "I am the son of a Golden Core cultivator from the Yan Alliance! You cannot kill me!" The blade halted against the man's throat. Panting heavily, Yanleizi hurriedly explained his background. Listening, Luo Chen's expression shifted unpredictably. "To provoke a Golden Core cultivator over this man—is it truly worth it?" He sheathed the Profound Fire Sword. Relieved as though pardoned from death, Yanleizi blurted out words of gratitude and scrambled away in haste. Once he reached a far distance, he looked back with venomous hatred. "Danchenzi, I will remember you! Just wait for death!" Half a month later, while slaying enemies wholesale on the battlefield, Luo Chen encountered a weathered old man treading through the sky, carrying a canopy of golden clouds. "Luo Chen, forfeit your life for my son!" Luo Chen's face filled with terror. "I spared him! You cannot kill me!" The old man smiled contemptuously and pinched his fingers into a sword gesture. The vast golden clouds instantly coalesced into flying golden swords that ripped through the air. Luo Chen fled in panic while Chu Kui stepped forward to shield him. Yet this time, a mirror appeared in the old man's hand, immobilizing Chu Kui. Like darting minnows, the golden swords converged directly before Luo Chen. Staring at the sword tips about to pierce his flesh, Luo Chen's eyes went wide. "No!" With a ragged cry, Luo Chen bolted upright from behind a desk. A graceful woman supported him with deep concern. "President, what happened?" Drenched in sweat, Luo Chen looked at the worried Sima Huiniang, gasping for breath. "I had a dream... I dreamed I was being hunted down by a Golden Core master, and I almost died. In that dream..." He rambled on, while Huiniang listened quietly. Only after a long while did the woman's voice echo softly within the silent Luotian Great Hall. "President, the pressure on you is simply too great." "All the burdens of the Luotian Association rest upon your shoulders, which is why you suffer such nightmares. In truth, there is no need for this. Right now, you handle external affairs while I manage the internal, and we have an expert like Fairy Jueqing escorting us. Our Luotian Association will surely thrive more and more." Listening to the gentle woman's comforting words, Luo Chen's heart gradually settled. Yet looking upon her magnificent palace robes, her ink-black hair, and the sliver of fair skin revealed at her chest, he could not help but swallow dryly. Sensing his gaze, the woman gently leaned against his shoulder. "President, it is already late. Do not go back tonight." Luo Chen instinctively started to wrap his arm around her shoulder, but the scenes from his nightmare suddenly flooded his mind. Reflecting upon the endless journey of cultivation, where he could barely ensure his own survival, why drag another into the mire? He sighed softly and gently pushed the woman's delicate shoulder away. "President, I..." Tears welled in the woman's eyes, threatening to spill over. "It is not your fault. You are wonderful." Luo Chen rose and walked out of the great hall. The solemn hall no longer carried the celebratory bustle of the daytime Foundation Establishment grand ceremony; only desolation and muted sobs remained. Stepping out of the hall, Luo Chen felt completely hollow inside. Looking up at the bright moon outside, he felt as though he had lost something. Just then, an elderly man looked over with a warm smile. "Luo Chen, what do you think?" *What do I think?* Luo Chen's drifting gaze fell beside the old man, settling upon the frail young girl weeping over the corpse of her kin. It was Mi Li! Without thinking, Luo Chen blurted out, "Kill her, of course!" *Chii!* A sword slashed through the air. The girl died with her eyes wide open. Beside them, Qin Liangchen stared with wide, disbelieving eyes at Luo Chen. "You!" "Me?" Luo Chen's mind churned violently. "How could this happen?" The elder Miao Wen walked past him, patting his shoulder as chilling words fell upon his ears. "You... are quite remarkable!" Under that chilling gaze, that look of utter disbelief, and the unblinking eyes of the dead girl staring back at him, Luo Chen fell into complete turmoil. *No!* *It shouldn't be like this!* *How could this be?!* Amidst this chaos, the aura on his body continued to dissipate without end. He stumbled backward, feeling a splitting headache. As he staggered back step after step, clutching his head, he suddenly realized he was actually moving forward. The bright moon remained the very same moon. Upon the open blue-stone pavement, a portly old man suddenly turned around. One half of his face was veiled in shadow, while the other held a faint smile as he looked at Luo Chen. "You are Luo Chen, correct?" "Within my Mountain Splitting Gang, we currently have the Seven Tigers Hall, along with an additional Flood Dragon Hall helmed by Wang Yuan. As of now, only the Pill Hall remains without a master." "Would you be willing to join my Pill Hall?"