“Luo Chen, are you willing to join my Pill Hall?”
The enthusiastic recruitment echoed in his ears, and a smile as warm as a spring breeze filled his vision, yet Luo Chen felt his mind thrown into total chaos.
A surge of violence flared up without warning.
He had cultivated for over a century, once stood above tens of thousands, retreated unscathed from the Feather Clan’s sacred grounds, and felt he could hold his own even against a Nascent Soul True Person.
And now, a mere Foundation Establishment True Cultivator dared talk of subduing him!
“Kill!”
“Kill!”
“Kill!”
With a single stroke of his sword, he could sever it all and regain tranquility!
Just as Luo Chen’s eyes turned blood-red, myriad voices seemed to echo beside his ears.
“Xiao Luo, this exact moment feels just like that time back then!” It was Qin Liangchen’s voice.
Yet when Luo Chen looked at the man standing beside the wealthy patriarch, the man’s mouth was not moving.
Was this moment truly the same as that one?
Luo Chen asked himself.
“You are a smart man. Let this matter end here!” It was Miao Wen’s voice.
He had always been clever and decisive in times of trouble; even if later hindsight proved a choice flawed, it had undeniably been the right call at the moment.
Now, how could he allow his cleverness to become his own downfall?
“President, I will wait for your return at Danxia.”
“Fellow Daoist Luo, I leave the future affairs of our Li family in your hands.”
“Luo Chen...”
“Demonic Lord Qingyang...”
Voice after voice came like surging tides, faint at first, then crashing like thunder, shaking Luo Chen’s soul relentlessly.
Right at this moment, Mi Shuhua’s voice sounded in his ears once more.
“Luo Chen, are you willing to join my Pill Hall!”
Facing that sinister gaze, Luo Chen slowly lifted his head, drew a deep breath, and slightly bowed his waist.
The sinister look vanished, and the portly elder burst into hearty laughter.
“Those who adapt to circumstances are heroes! Luo Chen, you will not regret today’s choice!”
Amidst the rumbling laughter, his figure began to fade away.
Luo Chen quietly watched the scene unfold, his body trembling faintly.
Yes, he did not regret it!
If he had spent every moment in regret, he never would have reached where he stood today.
Regarding everything he had done in the past, no matter how ugly or dirty, no matter how he had bowed and scraped under another’s roof, he had never regretted it.
No matter how profound his cultivation realm or how brilliant his glory now, it could never conceal that the road he had traveled had once been a swamp of mud.
Only by facing the past and accepting the ugliness in his heart could he continue forward.
When Luo Chen awoke from the impulse to rewrite the past and wallow in agony, he slowly blinked.
Before his eyes, where was there any bright moon over a small city, or any night scene of Danxia?
There was only an endless starry sky, and himself, walking alone within it.
Floating amidst the sea of stars,
Luo Chen opened his mouth and spat something out.
A black chess piece fell into his palm.
Without a whisper of wind, the black piece disintegrated into a handful of dust.
The Lanke Black Chess Piece that had protected him across his journey had finally reached the end of its life.
Luo Chen was not surprised this day had come.
During the previous attack by the gloomy aura of the desolate beast Ghost Immortal Tower, the Lanke Black Chess Piece had already sustained damage.
And after he stepped into this starry sky and that terrifying illusion descended—one so overwhelming that it left no time to react, let alone resist—the Lanke Black Chess Piece had quietly shattered.
Before shattering, years of sacrificial refinement allowed it to send Luo Chen one final warning.
And that warning reached its peak during the memory of Miao Wen interrogating his heart in Eastern Desolation’s Yuanmagnetic Valley, churning up turmoil within Luo Chen.
Thanks to that, Luo Chen was able to make the right choice at the final juncture.
He respected history, firmly believing that it was the correct path to his success.
Rather than regretting and trying to change everything within an illusion.
Besides, change?
How could he even change it?
Refuse Mi Shuhua’s recruitment out of hot-blooded youth and unbending pride? Back then, he would have died under the man’s ruthless schemes.
Just as if he had killed Mi Li, Miao Wen would have grown wary of him, so how could his subsequent rise have happened?
Refusing Sima Huiniang—would that have been the right choice? Not necessarily!
If he had spared Yanleizi, the man would certainly have sought revenge; thus, forcefully killing him despite the pressure of his Golden Core father was the right choice.
Just like on Yaoyue Island, brazenly executing Yan Nantian rather than keeping him around to breed trouble!
“My heart and deeds are clear as a mirror; all that I have done was right!”
Luo Chen smiled faintly and casually tossed his hand.
The black dust in his hand drifted away, scattering into the starry sky.
Only now did he have the spare energy to observe this “starry sky.”
In the endless black void, only thousands of stars hung high overhead.
Starlight showered over him; previously dim, it now shone brilliantly.
Looking at those stars and the starlight bathing his body, Luo Chen fell into contemplation.
“The illusion must originate from this.”
“And this illusion is entirely different from anything I have seen before. It neither tempts with beauty and light nor entices with wealth, lust, or power. Instead, it peers into the ugliness in one’s heart and forces one to confront it. If one dares not face their past and tries to rewrite history, nine times out of ten they will sink into it, never to awaken.”
“Truly exquisite and unfathomable!”
After praising it, Luo Chen looked down at the wooden plaque on his chest.
That was the Soul Nourishing Wood, within which Han Zhan dwelled.
At the moment, there was utter silence from him. Luo Chen could not tell whether he was hiding or had been forced into an illusion himself.
Looking left and right again, there was no sign of Ding Yi or Cave Master Moyun.
The three of them had likely been separated without realizing it when they left the skeletal corridor.
“I wonder if we will end up in the same place once we get out?”
Luo Chen pondered for a moment and stepped forward.
As his footsteps advanced, figures gradually emerged from the dark starry sky.
Scantily clad, alluring enchantresses and pure immortals draped in gossamer white silk struck seductive poses on both sides of his path, panting softly, moaning, or caressing their curves...
“Again?”
Luo Chen shook his head and strode forward without pausing for an instant.
Such illusions might affect cultivators with weak wills.
But in his lifetime, Luo Chen had experienced countless illusions.
Whether it was the dream illusions from taking the Nether-Passage Pill, the heart-questioning illusions of the Ghost-God Heart-Questioning Mirror, or the gloomy aura illusions of the Ghost Immortal Tower, none of them had been easy to deal with.
Through extensive tempering, he had long developed immense resistance.
Even without the protection of the Lanke Black Chess Piece, his resolute Dao heart remained entirely unmoved as he sped along.
As he pressed forward, the illusions shifted continuously.
From intoxicating beauties at first, to mouth-watering delicacies and banquets that set the saliva flowing, sweet fragrances stirring in his nose, and rolling demonic music and celestial harmonies in his ears.
Luo Chen remained unaffected, though amazement grew steadily within him.
The environment set up in this starry sky was truly wondrous!
Eyes, ears, mouth, nose, and heart—every single sense was targeted.
One slip, and a person would sink into oblivion.
Only those possessing an unyielding Dao heart and an indomitable spirit could pass through unaffected.
Even someone as strong as him, who was also proficient in ocular illusions, had nearly been beguiled and swallowed during the initial trial of the heart.
Moreover, Luo Chen could tell that the potency of these illusions matched his own cultivation realm—it did not exceed it by much, calibrated to perfection.
“The master who arranged this starry sky illusion truly possessed extraordinary means. How awe-inspiring!”
Luo Chen sighed in admiration. His pace quickened, and ahead of him, the starlight gradually paved a glowing path.
Looking up,
a luminous exit loomed faintly at the end of the starry path.
His spirits lifted. Ignoring the dizzying sights and sounds and the floating fragrances behind him, Luo Chen leaped and stepped into the exit.
...
“This is...”
Inside the quiet hall, Luo Chen turned back to look at the exit.
Above it, three characters were inscribed:
[Liwangtian]
“Is that starry sky illusion named Liwangtian?”
Lost in thought, Luo Chen withdrew his gaze and surveyed the modest palace.
Rather than a palace, it was more like an enormous stone chamber.
Formation lines crisscrossed beneath his feet. Strands of spiritual energy surged in from the outside, following the patterns into the floor of the stone chamber.
Evidently, this was the source of the cyclone passage.
Passing through the starry sky illusion Liwangtian and the Xuan Turtle skeletal corridor, it finally pierced the Sunken Sea to emerge in the Mountain Sea Realm.
And an immense amount of worldly spiritual energy was sucked in along with it.
At this moment, the concentration of spiritual energy in the stone chamber was terrifyingly dense—by Luo Chen’s estimate, at least Tier 4 or higher.
Were it not churning so violently as it circulated, this would be an exceptional cultivation sanctuary.
Yet the violence suited him perfectly!
Satisfaction gleamed in Luo Chen’s eyes. With his current physique and the aid of a formation, he might be able to draw upon the spiritual energy here to recover a little.
During the past month traversing the Sunken Sea, even though he had continuously consumed supreme-grade True Flame Pills, the drain on his magic power had still been immense.
His Second Core had dimmed considerably.
However, before meditating to adjust his breath, Luo Chen did two things first.
He inspected the Soul Nourishing Wood.
“Senior?”
From within came the usual voice:
“I am here.”
It seemed Han Zhan was unharmed?
Luo Chen narrowed his eyes slightly as he noticed the spiritual luster of the Soul Nourishing Wood had dimmed by nearly half.
He did not ask how Han Zhan had fared. That illusion was too bizarre and treacherous, specifically designed to dredge up the ugliness buried in one’s heart.
Prying too much would be impolite.
Next, Luo Chen cast his divine sense into the two spirit beast pouches.
“How are you two?”
“Master, how is what?”
“Master, do you need help?”
The voices of Black King and Tianxuan came one after the other, sounding as though they had encountered nothing at all.
Luo Chen frowned. “Did you not encounter any illusions?”
Both beasts replied in the negative.
Luo Chen glanced back toward Liwangtian.
Why had the two demon beasts been unaffected?
Was it a racial difference, or was it because they were enslaved and lacked independence, so the starry sky illusion did not target them?
No one answered Luo Chen.
Nor did Luo Chen have any urge to get to the very bottom of it right now.
Taking out the Spirit-Sealing Compass, he set up the Billowing Clouds Dense Mist Formation in a corner, then sat cross-legged within it to meditate in peace.
The surrounding violent spiritual energy surged against him.
Luo Chen let out a muffled grunt and forcibly began absorbing and refining it.
In the past, he never would have dared attempt this.
Yet now, his Tier 4 Desolate Ancient physique gave him confidence that he could withstand this violent worldly spiritual energy.
And the result proved him right.
A massive volume of spiritual energy entered his body, filtered first by the blood membrane condensed of source power, then steadily refined as it circulated through his meridians.
By the time it reached his Qi sea, it had already turned gentle and calm.
Even though its quality was inferior to what he could refine normally in the outside world, this magic power was not meant for his Natal Golden Core anyway, but rather to replenish his Second Core.
“I’ll wait a little longer.”
“If they still don’t emerge, I’ll leave on my own.”
...
This wait lasted half a day.
Half a day later, Cave Master Moyun stepped out from the exit.
Luo Chen dispelled the formation and walked out, feeling refreshed.
“Cave Master, are you all right?”
Cave Master Moyun looked somewhat pale, but his eyes were exceptionally clear. He nodded to Luo Chen.
“I am fine.”
Then he walked over to the side alone and retrieved a seashell-shaped magic treasure from his storage bag.
As magic power poured in, the shell expanded continuously.
“This old man intends to meditate and restore magic power. I must trouble you to keep watch, Fellow Daoist.”
Luo Chen nodded, watching the man step inside the shell.
Once the shell closed, the surrounding worldly spiritual energy washed over it, and visible wisps of spiritual energy seeped inside.
“An intriguing magic treasure,” Luo Chen muttered, glancing back at the sparkling exit.
Ding Yi was taking rather long.
He curled his lip, deployed his Qi armor, and began strolling around the stone hall.
After walking for a while, Luo Chen stopped beside a stone pillar.
“This architectural style... I don’t seem to have ever seen it before?”
Rubbing the relief carving on the stone pillar with his fingers, Luo Chen frowned slightly.
Carved upon it was a demonic wolf with three heads; no colors were visible, but the wolf looked exceedingly ferocious.
And he had never seen records of such a demonic wolf in the ancient texts of either the Eastern Desolation or the Northern Sea.
“Senior, do you recognize this creature?”
Han Zhan’s voice came faintly: “I do not recognize it, nor have I ever seen it. It does not appear to be a demon of the Mountain Sea Realm.”
“What about the others?”
Luo Chen swept his gaze across the hall; the other stone pillars were also covered in relief carvings.
There were numerous strange beasts, each distinct in form.
Han Zhan remained silent for a long moment before finally saying, “I do not recognize them either.”
For someone as knowledgeable and well-traveled as Han Zhan to find them so alien, Luo Chen grew increasingly cautious about their upcoming expedition.
“A Void Refining True Monarch, the Land of the Fallen Demon... in life, the master of this place was likely not a being of the Mountain Sea Realm either!” Luo Chen murmured.
Just then, light flickered at the exit.
Luo Chen abruptly looked back, locking eyes with a pair of crafty and cruel eyes.
Yet with just that single glance, that look vanished, replaced by bewilderment.
“Fellow Daoist Ding?” Luo Chen took a step back, asking in a low voice.
Ding Yi glanced blankly around him, then shook his head violently, clutching his head and groaning in pain.
Luo Chen grew even more vigilant, and a faint hum of swords even sounded from the sword case on his back.
Just as he was about to strike, Ding Yi’s trembling body gradually calmed.
“I am fine... my soul was merely wounded by the illusion, and the pain is rather unbearable.”
Ding Yi held up a hand signaling Luo Chen not to attack, while heading to a corner where the spiritual energy was weaker to sit cross-legged.
Luo Chen watched this with furrowed brows, his mind continuously replaying the fleeting crafty and cruel look that had appeared when Ding Yi first entered the hall.
That was not Ding Yi’s gaze!
With suspicion and caution in his heart, Luo Chen’s figure had unconsciously arrived before the hall’s main gates.
Now that everyone had gathered, the next step was to explore this Land of the Fallen Demon and search for the Five Elements Lotus Platform.
He cast a backward glance at the two, then firmly pulled open the gates.
Whoosh!
A wild gale blew in, carrying the scent of rusted iron and an endless keen sharpness.
With a single glance, Luo Chen was stunned by the sight before him.
Peaks soaring into the clouds, resembling inverted swords planted blade-first, stretched forward with no end in sight.
Luo Chen murmured:
“Is this place... still the lifeless Sunken Sea?”
Chapter 658