"This old woman is Haijiao Tianmu. Greetings, fellow Daoist!"
As soon as the words left her mouth, the old woman abruptly struck out, flicking her finger toward Luo Chen.
A beam of gloomy light shot forward in an instant.
Decisive as ever, she had resolved on the spot to eliminate her competitor.
Right at that moment, as the gloomy light drew within a zhang of Luo Chen, it dissipated into nothingness.
Just like that, without a whisper of sound or movement, it vanished.
"What?!"
The old woman gasped, clearly having never anticipated this outcome.
Luo Chen also let out a surprised murmur.
"Huh..."
Within the Alchemy Realm, that weak voice surfaced once more.
"Within the Alchemy Realm, only the Dao of Alchemy endures. No one may provoke strife or harbor murderous intent. Transgress again, and you shall be slain!"
The rumbling voice echoed among the mountains, streams, and white clouds. Weak and low though it was, its blatant killing intent remained unmistakable.
Under this voice, Haijiao Tianmu's expression soured.
Luo Chen, on the other hand, broke into a smile.
When he had first spotted her, he had been on high alert, fully prepared for battle.
In particular, the bizarre strike she had unleashed was so swift and packed with such restrained might that it was clearly beyond anything a Golden Core cultivator could execute.
Had they truly fought, he would inevitably have been plunged into a bitter struggle.
He had never imagined this realm possessed such restrictions.
Then again, it made sense. The Alchemy Realm was an inheritance of the Dao of Alchemy; all competition was meant to unfold through alchemical trials. How could it allow reckless slaughter?
He smiled faintly. "Haijiao Tianmu? Before we even met, you left a bamboo slip to mislead others. And the moment we come face to face, you strike without hesitation. Tsk, tsk. Is this the bearing of a demon emperor?"
Haijiao Tianmu stared at Luo Chen without joy or sorrow, betraying nothing of her inner thoughts.
In the next instant, a sonic boom resounded, and Luo Chen appeared beside her in a flash, whipping up a tempest as he sneered mockingly,
"A beast is still a beast. Even taking human form does nothing to change that savage, reckless, and bloodthirsty nature."
"You!"
Luo Chen shook his head, brushed right past her with sweeping strides, and headed straight for the center of the realm.
Behind him, Haijiao Tianmu gripped her herb basket, her previously emotionless expression now turning ashen with fury.
She, Haijiao Tianmu, was one of the foremost figures among the demon race of the Northern Sea. Even if her cultivation level was not at the absolute peak, any Tier 4 demon emperor had to show her deference.
In fact, several human Nascent Soul True Cultivators maintained friendly relations with her in private.
All of this was because of her mastery in alchemy—she was an indisputable alchemical grandmaster in the Northern Sea.
It had been countless years since anyone had dared to speak so insolently to her or spout such wild boasts.
In the outside world, she wouldn't even need to lift a finger; with a single command, plenty would leap forward to dispose of this junior on her behalf.
Unfortunately, a far mightier force suppressed everything within the Alchemy Realm...
A mightier force...
The old woman suddenly let out a cold sneer. "Insolent human brat. Do you truly believe the rules here can protect you forever?"
Luo Chen's steps paused.
Without looking back, he replied with absolute confidence:
"I took merely three years to catch up to your progress of several years. Even if further trials await, I shall surely unravel them faster than you. This place's inheritance—Luo will have it!
"As for what happens once we leave, it remains to be seen who will die by whose hand.
"Haijiao Tianmu, wasn't it? You had best worry first about whether you can even pass the trials and leave this inheritance ground alive!"
With that, he lingered no longer and leisurely walked away.
That formidable confidence seemed to linger in the air.
The old woman's cold sneer had vanished. Staring at Luo Chen's receding back, her expression shifted erratically in doubt and suspicion.
***
A short while later, in a dense forest of black earth, Luo Chen strolled along unhurriedly, his face deep in thought.
*Haijiao Tianmu... so it's this demon!*
He knew the name because he had once inadvertently come across it in the intelligence archives of the Myriad Immortals Association.
This demon held immense fame across the Northern Sea cultivation world!
She was a grandmaster-level alchemist. Even though she was only at the early Nascent Soul realm, she occupied an exalted position among the demons.
Not only that, she was one of the rare demons who maintained indirect ties with major human factions.
It was said that she had once personally attended a grand human alchemy assembly; even when her identity was eventually exposed, she departed with calm composure.
Her influence was so far-reaching that it transcended the divide between humans and demons.
Even if Luo Chen encountered such a figure in normal times, he would definitely handle her with utmost caution.
Even if he didn't fawn over her, he wouldn't go out of his way to offend her, let alone mock her as ruthlessly as he just had.
And the reason he had done so was remarkably simple.
With an inheritance at stake, you and I are enemies. Since the realm's rules forbid resorting to arms, then using sharp words to disturb her Dao heart is the next best move.
As for the effect?
"It should have some effect, right?" Luo Chen muttered to himself, not entirely certain.
At the level of a transformed demon emperor, she was no longer a shallow-minded beast lacking wisdom, but practically identical to a human Nascent Soul True Cultivator.
It could be said that even if her scheming was not as unfathomable as the ocean, she would not easily be swayed by a few words.
Yet in Luo Chen's view, no matter how good-tempered or deeply calculating one was, being struck at the craft one excelled in most would never leave anyone completely unruffled.
Take the people Luo Chen had met in the past: whether Huanghezi of Azure Pill Valley or Meng Changshou of the Medicine King Sect, if you claimed their cultivation realms were low, they would simply laugh it off without a care; but if you said their alchemy was subpar, they would genuinely fly into a rage.
Or take Cave Master Moyun, with whom he had recently become acquainted. Under normal circumstances, the man was fine, but the moment it touched upon forging weapons and casting treasures, an entirely different, emotional demeanor would emerge.
That Haijiao Tianmu was advanced in age yet modest in cultivation realm, showing that she had poured most of her energy into the Dao of Alchemy.
With Luo Chen attacking her on this front, it was impossible for her to remain unaffected.
What was more, a portion of what he said was the plain truth!
He, Luo Chen, had indeed taken only two years to catch up to her stride and reach the third trial!
If this continued, overtaking Haijiao Tianmu would merely be a matter of time.
Luo Chen did not believe she could remain steadfast as Mount Tai before such blunt truth.
"Disturbing her mind is naturally the best outcome. Even if it's only temporary, it can still buy me a bit of time."
Luo Chen muttered, his gaze falling upon this black forest brimming with fiendish qi.
The fruits borne by the spiritual trees here were things he had never seen or heard of before.
And the chilling, sinister fiendish qi undoubtedly corroborated his previous conjecture.
This third trial was very likely related to the fiend race.
This time, it would probably be even harder than the first two trials.
***
In a world of grim steel and towering timber, the clicking and grinding of mechanical gears echoed everywhere.
Looking down from high above, one could see countless lifeless beings looming faintly amidst that steel metropolis.
This was the Puppet Capital!
Suddenly, a giant bird soared into the sky from the grand city, churning the winds and clouds.
Reaching extreme heights, it spread its wings flat and gradually slowed down.
Its lively eyes were filled with delight.
"Haha, this inheritance turns out to be puppet arts! It suits this old man perfectly!"
Within just two years, Han Zhan had broken through nine stages in succession, conquering the third Puppet Capital.
At this moment, the puppet his Nascent Soul controlled was surprisingly at the early Nascent Soul realm!
This was already the strongest puppet he had been able to craft back when his physical body was still intact.
"I wonder how Luo Chen is doing over there?"
The bizarre, mechanized giant bird circled endlessly above the Puppet Capital. Below, wooden birds of identical design but varying sizes flew up, beginning to circle around it.
Han Zhan muttered a few words about Luo Chen before piloting the giant bird and steering the flock of birds toward the distance.
Several days later, an even more imposing steel city came into view.
Piloting the giant bird, Han Zhan looked down upon the grand city.
Unlike the previous capitals filled with innumerable puppets, this steel city lacked those looming crowds; instead, only a single towering figure crouched right in the center of the city.
Silvery-white all over, its fur was sharp as blades.
On its forehead, a prominent character for "King" struck straight to the heart.
The instant he laid eyes on this creature, Han Zhan's heart couldn't help but quiver.
"Could it be that this time, I am expected to craft a puppet capable of defeating this White Tiger puppet comparable to the late Nascent Soul stage?
"How could that possibly be done?"
***
Saber, spear, sword, and halberd; axe, battle-axe, hook, and fork; cudgel, lance, stave, and club; whip, truncheon, hammer, and talon...
This was a world of weapons.
Or rather, it was more like a graveyard of myriad armaments.
When a gentle breeze swept past, sounds of slaughter rang out chillingly.
Had a high-level cultivator been present, their heart would surely be surging with turmoil.
For the weapons stuck into the earth and scattered everywhere were all exquisite treasures rarely seen in the outside world.
From low-grade Dharma artifacts to high-grade magic treasures, and even true artifacts, they could be seen at every turn.
How could that fail to dazzle the eyes?
At the foot of a towering iron mountain, a refined middle-aged man wearing only a sleeveless undershirt was vigorously swinging the iron hammer before him.
In front of him, an iron sword was taking rudimentary shape.
"If I forge this sword using the ancient restoration method, perhaps I can complete the trial and ascend yet another mountain!"
As he hammered the sword blade, thoughts swirled in the middle-aged man's mind.
"I wonder how Shaoshang and Xiaolian are faring?
"Almighty Li's words were half-true at best. He mentioned only that the inheritance ground held the Spirit-Sculpting Holy Spring, but never said there were over a dozen distinct inheritances.
"The two paths Shaoshang and Xiaolian chose... are they in danger...?"
Just as his mind was preoccupied, his intuition twitched.
He halted his movements and looked toward the direction from which he had come.
Someone was climbing the Weapon Mountain!
"It's that Moyun brat!"
By virtue of measures he had left behind earlier, the middle-aged man instantly recognized who was pursuing from behind.
At the thought of him, the man's expression darkened.
"That man has 'Yun' in his name, clashing with me, Gu Feiyun. Now that we are competing for the very same inheritance, we are all the more at each other's throats.
"Judging by the Weapon Mountain he is ascending, he has likely forged the specified low-grade magic treasure required by the trial. I can afford to delay no longer.
"However..."
He gazed toward the iron mountain behind him, as if peering through the peaks to look at the even loftier Weapon Mountains further back.
"This is only the third trial, yet it already involves high-grade magic treasures. If I wish to obtain the true inheritance, am I expected to forge a true artifact, or even a spirit treasure?"
Thinking of the arduous road ahead, Gu Feiyun grew increasingly uneasy.
***
"The fiends comprise three thousand two hundred tribes; seven to eight tenths cultivate the body, and what they seek is the ancient fiend body.
"The ancient fiends stood tall between heaven and earth, striding across mountains and rivers... The foundation of all things begins from humble beginnings..."
Inside the study, Luo Chen closed his eyes and analyzed the trial prompt with practiced ease.
On the very first read, he made the delightful discovery that this trial might well be the easiest of the three for him.
The pills required to be concocted were actually body-refining auxiliary pills!
Moreover, their grade was not high—they were merely somewhat intricate.
They branched out in three directions: skin and flesh, bone, and blood.
Although, just like the previous two trials, there was no specific pill formula, Luo Chen had tempered his body day in and day out for over a century; he was intimately familiar with this path.
His current Tier 4 Desolate Ancient physique gave him a commanding vantage point, enabling him to reverse-engineer low-grade body-refining pills with ease.
The only consideration was that these pills had to be tailored to the physiology of the fiend race.
Luo Chen did not understand fiends, nor had he ever seen what a fiend's body was like.
Yet he believed that the answer surely lay hidden within the bamboo slips in this study!
Next, all he needed to do was read through all the bamboo slips here, gather the herbs, deduce the formulas, and refine the pills.
"Finally, I've run into an easy one!"
Luo Chen murmured.
Yet right after, his smile faded.
He remembered clearly that when he first arrived, Haijiao Tianmu was already gathering herbs, meaning she was very likely ahead of him.
"I truly cannot afford to delay."
Without hesitation, Luo Chen strode among the bookshelves, immersing himself in the ocean of knowledge.
Not long after, the old woman dressed in colorful patterned robes returned to the study. Seeing the young man holding a bamboo slip, thirstily absorbing alchemical knowledge, resentment surfaced on her face.
"Arrogant junior. Do you truly believe the trial set by an ancient cultivator is so simple that anyone can breeze through it?
"Though I know not how you got lucky enough to pass the first two trials, this third one will definitely leave you trapped and utterly at a loss!"
Her mind teeming with turbulent thoughts, Haijiao Tianmu snorted coldly and turned to leave.
For the new pill formula she had deduced, the herbs were already gathered. This time, she would surely succeed!
When that time came, she would definitely pass this trial one step ahead of him!
Not only was she determined to claim the inheritance, but once outside, she would seize this fellow called Demonic Lord Qingyang and make him wish he were dead to pay for the crime of offending her!
Chapter 687