Nascent Soul cultivators were rare to begin with.
Anyone who attained such a realm held sway over an entire territory and commanded an entire region.
Loose cultivator Nascent Souls were rarer still, as scarce as phoenix feathers or unicorn horns.
Even though the Northern Sea was renowned for its abundant resources, giving rise to an endless stream of formidable loose cultivators, only the Three Great Loose Cultivators among them had ever achieved the Nascent Soul realm.
Furthermore, the origins of those Three Great Loose Cultivators could actually be traced.
In his early years, the Moon Hermit had hailed from the Penglai Immortal Sect before defecting to carve out his own dominion as an overlord of an entire region.
There was no need to even mention the Blood Hermit, whose deeds were known to everyone across the Northern Sea cultivation world.
The Mad Hermit was somewhat mysterious, yet among the older generation of Nascent Soul True Persons, his true identity as Scholar Fengling was still known to a select few.
By contrast, the background of the Desolate Hermit seated across from True Person Langya at this very moment was somewhat intriguing.
He possessed an exceedingly youthful countenance, yet his years of cultivation were clearly not brief; by True Person Langya's judgment, he was at most two or three hundred years old.
His spiritual sense was formidable, no weaker than Langya's own despite having only newly entered the Nascent Soul realm—perhaps even slightly stronger.
One had to remember that Mei Yiqi had formed his Nascent Soul quite some time ago.
Moreover, this man paid such close attention to Blood Nightmare Moluo, an elder of the Yuan Demon Sect.
Two to three hundred years old, possessing a powerful soul, rising out of nowhere, closely monitoring a demonic sect, and now inquiring about Soul Essence—a material previously supplied exclusively to the Yuan Demon Sect's powerhouses...
True Person Langya narrowed his eyes slightly. "Could it be that the hermit is a survivor of the Yuan Demon Sect's Soul Refining Lineage?"
Only the demonic sect's Soul Refining Lineage knew how to utilize such an extraordinarily unique material as Soul Essence!
Luo Chen's expression remained serene as he asked in return, "What if I am? What if I am not?"
True Person Langya froze for a moment, then shook his head.
"If you are, it does not truly matter. In these times, with the demon beast crisis running rampant, human cultivators wish to stand united, so there is naturally room to accommodate remnants of the demonic sect. And if you are not, that is naturally even better.
"Besides, this poor Daoist has no ties to the Yuan Demon Sect. The Desolate Hermit's origins have nothing to do with me; let today simply be a chance encounter, a friendship forged over a single cup of tea."
The implication in his words was that even if Luo Chen truly were a demonic remnant, Mei Yiqi of Langya would not stir up trouble; at most, it would remain an acquaintance of mere chance.
Luo Chen listened quietly.
Suddenly, his brow twitched, and he burst into hearty laughter.
"Fellow Daoist, the world holds countless heroes. Geniuses do not emerge solely from sacred grounds. Though I, Luo, do not claim to be a genius, neither am I someone who hides his head and tails away. Look closely, and see for yourself whether I am a disciple of a demonic sect!"
As he spoke, Luo Chen ceased concealing his magic power fluctuations entirely.
A wave of grand, righteous, yet incomparably blazing magic power surged forth!
Its momentum was surging and towering. With every breath he took, it felt as though volcanic magma were erupting.
In True Person Langya's eyes, the man across from him sat in utter tranquility, yet seemed like a leaping flame that made one's heart palpitate with restlessness.
Above all, the purity of that magic power did not resemble someone who had newly entered the Nascent Soul stage at all; rather, it looked like that of someone whose cultivation had long been rock-solid.
The fiery restlessness he had previously perceived was not due to an unstable realm; it was an innate manifestation brought about by the elemental attribute of the man's cultivation technique.
Wonder flashed in True Person Langya's eyes. Taking a deep breath, he said, "Such a grand and righteous aura of magic power—though equally domineering, it is entirely different from the dark, oppressive overbearingness of the demonic sect. It resembles an innate supremacy that brooks no defiance, holding all creation in awe. From the look of it, Fellow Daoist is indeed no remnant of a demonic sect."
Luo Chen smiled faintly, drawing back his magic power in an instant.
As his robes settled, he said leisurely, "Then can Fellow Daoist now tell me about the Soul Essence of the Moluo Stream?"
"This poor Daoist shall naturally treat you with all sincerity!"
True Person Langya smiled faintly and filled another cup of tea.
...
The conversation between True Person Langya and the Desolate Hermit lasted an entire afternoon.
From probing each other's origins and discussing major affairs of the cultivation world at the start, to Luo Chen taking the initiative to ask for guidance later on, the two began exchanging their insights on cultivating in the Nascent Soul stage.
Although experience of this kind was exceedingly precious and each held back their deepest secrets, they could still share some fundamental insights.
In this regard, Luo Chen gained a massive advantage.
After all, having only recently formed his Nascent Soul, he possessed virtually no cultivation experience to speak of.
However, he did not merely take advantage. Instead, he sincerely shared some of his own insights and experiences regarding the process of condensing a Nascent Soul.
True Person Langya was not a solitary wanderer; he had disciples and family under his wing, among whom were several Gold Core cultivators.
Though he had formed a Nascent Soul himself, his personal experience was only suited to a select few.
With Luo Chen's additions, instructing his disciples in the future would be much easier. Perhaps in the years ahead, Mount Langya might produce another Nascent Soul True Person thanks to Luo Chen's shared insights.
After Luo Chen took his leave, a Mount Langya Gold Core cultivator entered Langxuan Hall.
"Master, is everything all right? I saw the grand hall's array fluctuating earlier and almost thought the two of you had come to blows."
True Person Langya waved a hand. "It is fine. We were merely exchanging cultivation insights and occasionally testing our techniques."
The disciple came to a sudden realization, then asked out of curiosity, "I saw their carriage trailing behind us. Are they going to Molan Court with us?"
"Yes. This Truce Conference is a grand occasion rare to see in two hundred years for high-level cultivators like us. As a loose cultivator, the Desolate Hermit lacks communication with peers and channels for resource exchange most of all. Naturally, he would not want to miss it."
Speaking up to this point, True Person Langya's tone carried a hint of hesitation.
Stroking his beard, he still felt somewhat uncertain in his heart.
Even if the man was not a disciple of a demonic sect, how could such an air of grand mastery and magnificent, domineering magic power ever be cultivated through the crude, shallow techniques of a loose cultivator?
Moreover, the Desolate Hermit was so young!
...
Aboard the Six Imperials Flying Cloud Carriage.
Luo Chen digested the information he had just gained.
Regarding the insights into Nascent Soul cultivation, after cross-referencing them with what Han Zhan had shared in earlier years, he confirmed that True Person Langya had not deceived him.
However, one point mentioned by Langya came as a surprise to Luo Chen.
That was the relationship between the Purple Palace, the Nascent Soul, and breakthrough in realm.
The Nascent Soul was like a newborn infant: it contained an entire cultivator's unmatched, awe-inspiring might, yet was also exceedingly 'fragile'!
This fragility was in comparison to heaven and earth.
The Nascent Soul yearned to blend with heaven and earth, yet also feared fusing too deeply with it.
If a cultivator became overly engrossed in cultivation and the Nascent Soul interacted too deeply with heaven and earth, it could easily be assimilated by the world, causing the cultivator to lose their self entirely.
Because of this, the Purple Palace derived from the qi ocean existed to shelter the Nascent Soul, preventing it from being exposed bare to the outside and assimilated by heaven and earth.
Thus, the thicker the barrier of the Purple Palace, the more securely the cultivator could cultivate, and the faster their cultivation speed would be.
To use a vivid metaphor, it was like a flower in a greenhouse.
Sheltered from wind and rain, planted in suitable soil, it naturally grew lush and vibrant.
Yet Luo Chen knew all too well what a greenhouse flower signified: it could not withstand harsh devastation.
Applied to cultivation, it meant that the thicker the Purple Palace barrier, the harder it would be to break through to the Soul Formation stage in the future.
Because at that stage, advancing to Soul Formation required comprehending the true meaning of worldly laws between heaven and earth and integrating them into the Nascent Soul to transform it into an Origin Soul. A barrier that was too thick would inevitably obstruct the cultivator from comprehending the supreme principles of heaven and earth.
This was the first time Luo Chen had ever learned of this cultivation insight.
Han Zhan had never mentioned it before.
True Person Langya was troubled by this as well, because his Purple Palace barrier was too thin. When cultivating deeply, he feared losing himself to heaven and earth. Every time he cultivated, he was forced to tread with extreme caution as if walking on thin ice. Consequently, although he had formed his Nascent Soul over two hundred years ago, he remained only at the second layer of the Nascent Soul stage today.
He had brought this matter up in hopes of seeking a solution or advice from Luo Chen.
Yet how could Luo Chen have one? He could only offer words of encouragement and good wishes.
Turning his thoughts back to himself, Luo Chen reflected internally.
*Is my Purple Palace barrier considered thick or thin?*
He soon found his answer.
When Han Zhan had attempted to seize his body back then, upon first entering the Purple Palace, he had been utterly astounded.
It seemed that even Han Zhan, who had watched Luo Chen cultivate step by step, had never imagined Luo Chen's Purple Palace would be so vast and magnificent, truly resembling a miniature world within the body!
*Back then, we had already torn away all pretense of cordiality. His astonishment could not have been feigned. Therefore, my Purple Palace must be exceedingly rare in this world, far surpassing even an unheralded genius like Han Zhan, the likes of whom the Luoyun Sect hadn't produced in centuries.*
*In that case, when I wish to break through to the Soul Formation stage in the future, I fear...*
*Enough. I am thinking far too far ahead. At the very least, having such a profound Purple Palace foundation is an immense boon for me right now. It means I need not worry too much about being eroded by heaven and earth and losing myself during cultivation.*
Luo Chen chuckled softly and set the matter aside for the time being.
Next, he recalled the matter of the Soul Essence mentioned by True Person Langya.
The Moluo Stream was still producing Soul Essence!
Even though the Yuan Demon Sect had been annihilated and the demand for Soul Essence no longer existed, a handful of Stream Lords within the Moluo Stream had continued to produce Soul Essence over the past two hundred years.
The world knew full well the might of the three Yuan Demon lineages.
In the past, the one that struck the most terror into people was the Blood Sea Lineage, for that lineage focused most on slaughter and acted with reckless abandon. The Blood Hermit had merely obtained a fragment of the Blood Sea Lineage's cultivation manual to achieve his resounding fame as one of the Northern Sea's Three Great Loose Cultivators—a testament to its potency.
Yet after the Demon-Beast War, the fame of the Soul Refining Lineage completely eclipsed that of the Blood Sea Lineage.
Even as the demonic sect met its end, the Soul Formation ancestor of the Soul Refining Lineage was still able to lay down the Myriad Souls Demon-Locking Array, trapping the united demon army firmly within the Arctic Yama Heavens.
Had the desolate beast Guixianlou not coordinated from the inside and outside, the Northern Sea might have remained peaceful for hundreds of years under that array's seal.
And the power of the Soul Refining Lineage, aside from its cultivation arts and heritage, undoubtedly relied heavily on resources like Soul Essence.
That was why those Stream Lords of the Moluo Stream persisted in refining it.
And how had this matter come to light?
The answer was simple: during the war between the righteous and demonic factions, someone discovered that the Moluo Stream dispatched dedicated individuals to collect the souls of fallen cultivators on the battlefield.
Since they were never seen using those souls to craft items like Soul Refining Banners, their true purpose became readily apparent.
*The Yuan Demon Sect only bestowed the method of producing Soul Essence, without teaching them how to utilize it.*
*In two hundred years, it seems the various Stream Lords of the Moluo Stream have yet to figure out a specific way to use it.*
*At this Truce Conference, someone might bring it out to trade. I must pay it a visit.*
*Moreover, if I want to return to the Eastern Desolation, this conference is an opportunity. Perhaps I will have the chance to meet an intermediary.*
Luo Chen pondered carefully. Occasionally glancing outside, he saw only a hazy, starlit night, foreshadowing a heavy downpour that might arrive before long.
...
The outbreak of war was always sudden.
The conclusion of war, however, was often exceedingly tedious.
Contacts between the two sides, from cautious probing to establishing mutual consensus, required ceaseless negotiations and endless bargaining.
Throughout the process, intermediaries of sufficient weight were needed to mediate and prevent talks from collapsing.
Even with foreign enemies encircling them, internal divergence of interests meant peace could never be achieved in a single stroke.
Within Molan Court, the Righteous-Demonic Truce Conference had already been underway for several days.
More and more cultivators gathered here, yet a final outcome remained unreached.
All that everyone knew was that the representative stepping forth from the Moluo Stream was their First Stream Lord, who was at the late Nascent Soul stage.
Not only was this person first in realm and first in strength within the Moluo Stream, but his very surname was also 'Diyi'—The First!
As for the Canghai Alliance, their choices were somewhat intriguing.
It was only natural that the Soul Formation almighty, Li Canghai, would not show himself; given his realm and status, why would he?
However, neither of the two late Nascent Soul great cultivators came forward either, which was quite disrespectful.
The negotiation representative they sent out was named Mulan Gaoxiong!
The name sounded somewhat familiar; he was precisely the mid Nascent Soul powerhouse who had been ambushed and encircled by Blood Nightmare Moluo during the Lengguang Island incident years ago.
He had been fortunate enough to escape that encirclement. Though he had survived, his vitality had been severely depleted.
It was said that even after his injuries healed, his realm was permanently halted, unable to advance for the rest of his life.
This had made his temper increasingly violent, and in the subsequent century-long righteous-demonic war, his methods were ruthless to the extreme. Among the Twelve Stream Lords of the Moluo Stream, two had suffered under his hand—one dead, one injured.
"This poor Daoist cannot understand why Almighty Li sent him out to negotiate. Does he not wish to expedite peace?"
Within the torrential rain pouring over Molan Court, high upon a tower, True Person Langya looked at the streaks of escaping light coming and going through the curtain of rain, his heart filled with bewilderment.
Dressed in white, Luo Chen rested his hand on the railing and smiled softly. "If sending Mulan Gaoxiong can still settle this matter, it shows that the concessions made by the Moluo Stream must be immense—so great that even the aggrieved party, Mulan Gaoxiong, is willing to agree to a ceasefire. Isn't that so?"
True Person Langya froze, then let out a helpless chuckle.
It seemed there was indeed truth to that reasoning.
If Almighty Li had the mind to do so, he could wipe out these clownish remnants of the Moluo Stream at any moment.
There might be reasons he refrained from doing so, but that did not mean the Moluo Stream could act recklessly; their posture had to be low enough.
The arrival of Mulan Gaoxiong was meant to grind their already-lowered heads even further into the dirt!
"I, Luo, am quite curious. The one that gave the Moluo Stream the courage to ignite this war was the Penglai Immortal Sect, yet throughout these talks, not a single Penglai cultivator has been seen!"
To his surprise, True Person Langya chuckled.
"Fellow Daoist, there is something you do not know. Who says they are nowhere to be seen? The intermediary responsible for arbitrating is one of the four Grand Elders of the Northern Sea Tianyuan Business Alliance. Does his stance not represent the Penglai Immortal Sect?"
Luo Chen was taken aback, then broke into a knowing smile.
Sure enough, his guess back then had been correct.
Behind the Penglai Immortal Sect truly stood the Tianyuan Business... no, the Tianyuan Dao Sect!
Still, acting as both player and referee—their power was indeed absurdly immense.
Down in the curtain of rain below, several streaks of escaping light came to a halt at that moment.
Faint shouts of argument could be heard.
It was a confrontation between low-level Gold Core cultivators from the Moluo Stream and the Canghai Alliance.
After a century of friction followed by a century of war, the grudges and bloodshed between them had long become countless.
Now, meeting their enemies face to face, their eyes burned with fury.
Even with strict orders from above, when it came to spewing venomous threats, nobody could hold their tongue.
"If you want to fight, then fight! My Black Wing Island has never feared you!"
"Haha, never feared us? These past thirty years, we beat you until you couldn't lift your heads or strike back! You even had to yield the old lair of your Moluo Stream's founder, Blood Nightmare Moluo, just to hold peace talks! And yet your mouth is still as stubborn as a dead duck's!"
"You!"
"'You' what? Back then, when you led a mob to ambush the Heavenly Star Sea, I remember every bit of it! Twenty years ago, when you counterattacked Feiyun Ravine and brutally slaughtered all three thousand cultivators, even my sister, who had married into Feiyun Ravine, died at the hands of Old Ghost Kang! Where is he? Why does he not dare show his face at Molan Court today? I, Bi Dan, will settle this score with him, and with your Black Wing Island!"
...
The harsh words between the Gold Core cultivators were no empty bravado; they dripped with chilling murderous intent.
High upon the tower, the two Nascent Soul True Persons listened quietly, neither uttering a word.
After a long while, True Person Langya let out a soft sigh.
"My ninth disciple, while not exceptionally brilliant, possessed decent talent. Yet he tragically perished at the hands of a Gold Core powerhouse from the Penglai Immortal Sect named Yu Gao. Now that Penglai has withdrawn into hiding, this poor Daoist doesn't even have a chance to demand an explanation."
Luo Chen's expression turned peculiar.
True Person Langya gave a self-deprecating smile. "I have made a fool of myself before you, Hermit. The Penglai Immortal Sect possesses profound foundations, boasting more than one late Nascent Soul great cultivator. This old man was simply overestimating his own strength."
Luo Chen hurriedly reined in his peculiar expression.
"True Person, you need not belittle yourself. In this world, how can any sect stand forever? Even one as mighty as the Yuan Demon Sect has become a faded flower of yesterday. The Penglai Immortal Sect may not shine for long either. As the common saying goes, ten years is not too late for a gentleman to take his revenge; for us Nascent Soul cultivators, waiting a few centuries will surely yield an opportunity."
Having received this consolation, True Person Langya seemed to feel slightly better.
Unwilling to watch the friction below that bristled with tension yet could not actually erupt into battle, he turned to return to his room.
Before departing, he asked, "There is a small gathering among True Persons this afternoon. Would you like to attend? Langya may lack great talent, but I can still make introductions on your behalf."
"In that case, it would be rude of me to decline."
Luo Chen smiled and nodded.
Once Langya had left, Luo Chen's gaze burned like torches, fixing intently on the Gold Core cultivator below who had been shouting about blood debts.
A strand of spiritual sense transmitted outward.
Resting in his room, Sang Jinghe was startled for a moment, then stepped quietly into the curtain of rain.
Chapter 721