Two streaks of light flew slowly along the banks of the Shi River, eventually leaving the Lanke Mountain Range behind.
Because they were not flying swiftly, they frequently encountered low-ranking disciples of the Dao Sect along the way.
Whenever disciples who recognized Fu Qinglan bowed and greeted her, she responded with her customary cool, aloof demeanor.
Yet the faint tremor in her eyes betrayed the tempest raging in her heart.
Finally, as they drew near Heaven and Earth Peak, she could no longer hold back.
"Elder Qi... was defeated by you in a single exchange?"
"Mm."
Luo Chen answered with a casual grunt, his expression completely tranquil.
Seeing his utter indifference—as though he had casually stepped on an ant—Fu Qinglan felt her emotions surge even more violently.
That was Qi Xiongcheng!
A loyal servant painstakingly cultivated by the illustrious Shi family!
Originally, he had been trained to serve as a Dharma protector, which meant he had practiced body-refining methods from childhood.
Later, upon reaching the Furnace Realm, the third realm of body cultivation, he was dispatched to the Western Desert. There, while handling mundane affairs on behalf of the Shi family, he studied Buddhist body-refining techniques.
Indeed, in the present Mountain Sea Realm, the path of body cultivation had long since declined; only the Buddhist sects of the Western Desert still adhered to it.
Yet no one had expected that when Qi Xiongcheng returned from his "studies" in the Western Desert, he would reveal a Nascent Soul cultivation!
A dual cultivator of body and magic—this was an outcome no one could have anticipated.
It was precisely because of this that Qi Xiongcheng's reputation had skyrocketed overnight.
Many believed that, with his Nascent Soul cultivation, he would sever ties with the Shi family and establish his own lineage.
It was fair to say that Qi Xiongcheng was exceedingly formidable. His body-refining attainments alone had earned him the moniker "Old Ghost Qi" in the resource-starved Western Desert, and his dual cultivation of magic and physique made him renowned far and wide.
Factoring in the rich combat experience he had accumulated along his journey, even the untempered prodigies of the Dao Sect could not afford to underestimate him.
Yet such a figure had failed to last even a single exchange against Luo Chen!
Fu Qinglan had seen it with absolute clarity just now: the moment Qi Xiongcheng's attack missed, an enormous opening had appeared. Had Luo Chen wished it, he could have taken Qi Xiongcheng's life in an instant.
At the very least, he would have left him grievously wounded!
*Is this why Grandfather has such absolute confidence in him?*
Fu Qinglan could vaguely tell that Luo Chen's effortless technique bordered on a soul illusion. Still, the fact that he could execute it with such exquisite precision at the critical juncture left her profoundly shaken.
She could not help but wonder: if she were the one facing Luo Chen, what would the odds of victory be...?
Her reverie was cut short before it could go any further.
Luo Chen spoke up.
"From here on, I will remain on Heaven and Earth Peak and not leave until the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven opens. Unless there is an urgent matter, please do not disturb me."
Fu Qinglan hesitated, but seeing Luo Chen's resolute expression, she realized he had no love for such clamor and socializing.
That was typical of a rogue cultivator.
It was a bit of a pity, though; she had hoped to introduce Luo Chen to her two close friends.
Yet gazing at Luo Chen's tall, retreating silhouette, she felt an immense sense of security.
*If he is this powerful, do I have a chance of reaping even greater rewards in the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven?*
***
As he returned to Heaven and Earth Peak, Luo Chen noticed a streak of light wobbling its way out, heading toward the upper reaches of the Shi River toward the Lanke Mountain Range.
*Setting out for the Peach Garden at this hour?* Luo Chen muttered to himself.
Just as he was about to enter the mountain, he subconsciously looked back at the light once more.
The unshielded countenance within felt somewhat familiar.
*Isn't that Lin Bufan of the Lin family from the competition dossier?*
He had some impression of the man, who was the "Little Lin" Fu Qinglan had mentioned, as well as one of her close friends.
*Why is he coming out from Heaven and Earth Peak? If I remember correctly, his Dao Protector is a servant from his own clan.*
The great clans of the Central Plains raised countless servants and retainers.
Among these people, high-level cultivators occasionally emerged.
However, most of them belonged to the Twelve Great Houses.
For clans like the Thirty-Six Noble Families, nurturing a retainer to the Core Formation stage was already quite commendable; reaching the Nascent Soul stage was virtually impossible.
After all, with that many resources, it was far better to pour them into one's own clan descendants.
The Lin family, however, was an exception. In his early years, the family head had taken in a young boy who, though called a servant, was treated as an adopted son.
Though unqualified to enter the Tianyuan Dao Sect, the Lin family had spared no effort in cultivating him, ultimately elevating him to the early Nascent Soul realm.
Such a person's background was known inside and out, and his loyalty was beyond question.
Thus, that servant named Lin Jingtang was Lin Bufan's Dao Protector.
Thoughts drifting through his mind, Luo Chen drifted up the mountain.
Passing by the massive plaza before the Star Gate, he encountered True Person Qideng.
Luo Chen paused deliberately to greet him. "Elder Qideng!"
"Ah, it is Desolate Hermit. Where have you been?" the sallow-faced True Person Qideng asked with a smile.
Luo Chen pointed in a direction. "Just returned from the Peach Garden."
Understanding dawned on True Person Qideng. "Indeed. When I first arrived in the Central Plains, I was also quite intrigued by the so-called weiqi matches played by the local cultivators. But as time went on, I lost interest in joining the bustle."
True Person Qideng hailed from the Western Desert.
His exact age was unknown, but he had joined Heaven and Earth Peak three hundred years ago and currently stood at the late Nascent Soul realm.
Yet none of that mattered compared to the fact that he was one of the nineteen elders of Heaven and Earth Peak!
At the same time, he was the external continent cultivator on Heaven and Earth Peak with whom Luo Chen interacted the most.
When the Seven Elders previously convened to grant Luo Chen the status of Foreign Affairs Elder, and later when his immortal cave was arranged, Qideng had taken part in everything and even handed over the arrangements to Luo Chen personally.
That was precisely why Luo Chen had taken the initiative to stop and greet him.
Curious, Luo Chen asked, "If Elder is not interested in such things, why stand out here?"
Surely he wasn't simply out for a stroll!
True Person Qideng shook his head. "Shooing someone off."
"Shooing someone off?" Luo Chen was taken aback.
True Person Qideng gestured with his chin. "Did you not see that Lin family boy on your way back?"
"You mean Lin Bufan?"
"Indeed. That lad loitered on Heaven and Earth Peak for over half a year. It violates the rules, so I had no choice but to chase him away."
"I see."
Luo Chen nodded. Although he had no idea why Lin Bufan had lingered on Heaven and Earth Peak for so long, it at least explained why the young man was leaving at this hour.
Since they had met, pleasantries were naturally in order.
Luo Chen simply paused to converse with True Person Qideng.
To his surprise, this casual chat actually yielded some insider information.
The time: in roughly half a year.
The location: Heaven and Earth Peak, right on the plaza beneath Luo Chen's feet.
The person: Alchemy Saint Chu Yan!
"When the time comes, the Twelve Great Houses and Thirty-Six Noble Families of the Central Plains will all attend to witness the ceremony, and countless humble clans will dispatch representatives as well. Experts from the four continents will also take their seats to see off the Alchemy Saint.
"The many experts of our Heaven and Earth Peak, barring those away on duties, will practically all make an appearance.
"I hear you will serve as a Dao Protector entering the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven, Fellow Daoist. When the day arrives, it would be best for you to be present."
Luo Chen was both stunned by how quickly time was passing and curious as to why it would be best for him to be present.
To this, Elder Qideng merely smiled faintly.
"I joined Heaven and Earth Peak only three hundred years ago, so I have never witnessed the previous opening of the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven. But according to the records, that is how it is done. I imagine Clan Head Fu will inform you when the time comes as well."
Filled with perplexity, Luo Chen returned to Immortal Cave Number Seventy-Eight.
He dearly wanted to know what connection the Alchemy Saint's ascension ceremony had with the opening of the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven. However, he was merely a Foreign Affairs Guest Elder—not even an ordinary Star Gate Guest Elder—and lacked the authority to consult the relevant archives. He had no choice but to drop the matter.
For the time that followed, Luo Chen did not plan to step outside again.
It was not merely that he had no interest in the excitement; he simply did not wish to become entangled in pointless strife.
Stepping out for just one excursion today had already drawn Qi Xiongcheng's probing test—an action that was by no means a reckless impulse born of anger over losing the role of Dao Protector!
In his view, it was far more likely to have been an unspoken directive from Shi Ju.
With the grand competition drawing near, other family scions would almost certainly harbor similar ideas.
After all, intelligence on one's rivals remained mere words on paper. If an opportunity arose to test a rival in person, no one would let it slip.
Under such circumstances, preserving a degree of mystery about himself would prove far more advantageous for the trials ahead.
Luo Chen's plan was to proceed methodically as before.
Since ordinary cultivation was temporarily suspended, he focused on raising his proficiency in the Hongyuan Pill and Great Soul Pill to the Grandmaster tier.
The latter goal had already been achieved.
That meant he could consume high-grade Great Soul Pills to foster the growth of his split soul.
At the same time, Luo Chen kept constant watch over the changes in his nascent true fire. His Wither-Bloom True Fire was steadily withering toward total stillness. By his calculations, it would not be long before it completed the stage of declining from its zenith.
***
Just as Luo Chen had anticipated, as the date of the competition approached, the gathering of intelligence on rivals grew increasingly fierce.
In particular, information on the Dao Protectors accompanying the participating disciples of the Tianyuan Dao Sect!
Among these Dao Protectors, Luo Chen was the least conspicuous, yet also the most conspicuous!
He was inconspicuous because there was the least intelligence on him; his rise had been so rapid that the various clans had not had time to compile sufficient information.
Yet he stood out like a sore thumb because of his identity as a rogue cultivator.
The other Dao Protectors were either thoroughly vetted retainers of great clans or renowned figures invited from prominent outside factions. Luo Chen was the only one who stood as a rogue cultivator without any substantial background.
By rights, a rogue cultivator was nothing to fear, yet the fact that the Fu family had turned away a powerhouse like Qi Xiongcheng spoke volumes about their confidence in Luo Chen's prowess.
Most people knew very little about Luo Chen.
Yet there were always those who possessed their own channels.
For instance, in the Peach Garden, upon listening to Qi Xiongcheng's description, an intensely intrigued expression appeared on Shi Ju's face.
*Proficient in soul illusions?*
*Capable of causing even a Nascent Soul cultivator's attack to veer off course?*
Those two points alone were enough to warrant caution.
This intelligence was something Shi Ju had obtained by sending someone to test Luo Chen in person.
Meanwhile, within a secluded immortal cave in the Lanke Mountain Range, Perfected Longyuan received a jade slip from Changfengzi's hands.
The moment his divine sense entered the slip, a dense flood of information surged forth.
Only after a long while did he lower the slip, half-believing and half-doubting.
"Is this intelligence true?"
Changfengzi nodded hurriedly. "It should be genuine. This was personally dispatched by Elder Shen Wandou, who resides in Shenyuan City in the Northern Sea. Part of it has been confirmed without a doubt, while part consists of reasonable deductions. Even the deduced portions matched perfectly after I investigated them using the influence of the Central Plains' Shen family."
"Upon his first appearance, he overpowered the Cracking Sky Stream Lord in a collision of domains, earning significant regard from Old Monster Netherfire. When Senior Brother Shen tested him personally, his divine sense proved extraordinary. He styles himself the Desolate Hermit, drawing comparisons to the Three Great Loose Cultivators of the Northern Sea... Did Demonic Lord Qingyang truly reach such heights in just a single century?"
Perfected Longyuan found it somewhat hard to believe.
Regarding the Desolate Hermit Luo Chen's performance at the Nascent Soul realm, he had simply assumed the man possessed decent strength.
Yet according to the intelligence, Shen Wandou of the Northern Sea's Tianyuan Commerce Alliance had connected him to Demonic Lord Qingyang, who had risen to fame in the Myriad Immortals Association in earlier years.
When that Demonic Lord Qingyang first entered the Myriad Immortals Association, he was merely at the mid Core Formation stage!
How could he have reached this point?
Yet judging from the fire arts the Desolate Hermit excelled in, as well as the black dragon spiritual beast that had stormed into the Coral Sea to rescue the Zhou family, he indeed matched certain characteristics of Demonic Lord Qingyang.
More tellingly, the ancestor of the Zhou family had taken the initiative to befriend him, and he had taken in a young female cultivator who was not of the Zhou family. That female cultivator, named Zhang Jingqing, shared deep ties with the Zhang family of Cailian Island in Penghu. And the Zhang family had once been a vassal of Demonic Lord Qingyang.
According to the investigation conducted by his clansman Changfengzi, that junior female cultivator, along with another maidservant, was currently residing in the Fu family's ancestral lands in the Central Plains.
Piecing all this intelligence together, it was overwhelmingly probable that the Desolate Hermit was none other than Demonic Lord Qingyang!
And Luo Hai was naturally Luo Chen.
Changfengzi asked tentatively, "Could this astonishing transformation of his be related to his venture into the Land of the Fallen Demon?"
Perfected Longyuan frowned. "It is possible. After all, anyone who walks out of the Land of the Fallen Demon alive is bound to have reaped great gains."
Changfengzi sighed with regret. "If the Land of the Fallen Demon truly held such immense fortune, had Family Head made the journey back then..."
Upon returning to the Central Plains, Perfected Longyuan had seized absolute authority over the humble Liu clan, becoming the current family head.
Facing his clansman's regret, he shot back a sharp glare.
"What do you know? Anyone may enter that place, but disciples of our Tianyuan Dao Sect must never set foot there!"
Changfengzi froze.
Perfected Longyuan offered no further explanation.
For one, he disdained seeking the heritage of the Heaven Refining Demon Lord in the Land of the Fallen Demon; the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven held its own fortune for him.
Second, certain secrets imparted to him by the Dao Sect's Master-Disciple Faction strictly forbade him from stepping into the Land of the Fallen Demon.
Such matters, however, did not need to be shared with his clansman.
"If he truly is Demonic Lord Qingyang, then you ought to thank him for saving the three of you in the Sunken Sea back then."
Changfengzi nodded subconsciously.
Back then, he, Guan Xiaoping, and Wu Tao had traveled to the Northern Sea for tempering, intending to emulate their clan uncle, Perfected Longyuan, and secure a chance to advance to the Nascent Soul realm through the Northern Sea's resources and trials of life and death.
Later, however, the Demon Alliance broke through the seal from the Arctic Yama Heavens, making the situation far too dangerous.
As three mere Core Formation cultivators, they could accomplish little amid such overwhelming tides and had no choice but to make their way back to the Central Plains.
Regarding that most perilous trial in the Sunken Sea, Changfengzi still remembered it vividly.
Demonic Lord Qingyang had done him a kindness.
Yet the Desolate Hermit...
"He is now Family Head's adversary. How could I show him gratitude? Once the grand competition concludes, it will not be too late to offer my thanks," Changfengzi declared.
Perfected Longyuan shook his head. "You are being narrow-minded."
Changfengzi held his ground. "Then let your nephew be narrow-minded! But Family Head, do you have confidence against this man?"
Perfected Longyuan pondered for a moment before breaking into a sudden smile.
His smile brimmed with absolute confidence.
"Both he and I formed our Nascent Souls in the Northern Sea. Before that, during my Core Formation days, I had no equals. Now that we are both Nascent Soul True Persons, I advanced earlier than he did. Why should I fear him?
"Besides, unlike the others, Mingyan and I serve as mutual pillars for one another. Within the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven, no matter whom we face, we have nothing to fear!"
Hearing the name Mingyan, Changfengzi's expression turned solemn.
Though the Dao Sect's Master-Disciple Faction had long been in decline, it remained a force on equal footing with the Family Faction.
Martial Aunt Mingyan was the most brilliant prodigy of the present Master-Disciple Faction. With her assistance, Family Head would surely seize the great fortune of the Great Dao within the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven!
"Do not worry about me. Return and prepare yourself well! I hope that when the time comes, you too will establish your name in the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven and demonstrate the might of our Liu family!" Perfected Longyuan said encouragingly.
Changfengzi nodded, his face full of confidence.
Though born of a humble clan, he too aspired to emulate his clan uncle!
Moreover, he had weathered trials in the Northern Sea and seen blood. When the time came, he would not necessarily fall short of the scions of the great noble houses.
***
The Central Plains had erupted into complete clamor.
Whether due to the Alchemy Saint's ascension or the quincentennial competition, great families and diverse factions surged continuously toward the Lanke Mountain Range.
The several immortal cities nearby were already packed to overflowing.
All manner of rumors and tidings circulated ceaselessly.
Yet Heaven and Earth Peak, the very eye of this storm, grew ever quieter, refusing visits from all outsiders.
Incidents like chasing Lin Bufan off the mountain were merely trifling preludes to the mountain's sealing.
Everyone knew that with the Alchemy Saint's ascension at hand, even her occasional appearances were mostly clones.
She was cultivating with undivided focus, striving for that final step!
Such a tranquil environment also spared Luo Chen many potential headaches.
He spent his days concocting pills, consuming a Great Soul Pill each month, and circulating the Soul Splitting Art, feeling his split soul grow stronger.
In his idle moments, he mostly read books.
All kinds of books!
Texts related to his primary cultivation technique, puppetry, alchemy compendiums, and even the chess manuals Fu Qinglan had sent over were occasionally perused.
The artifact modeled after the Lanke spirit treasure was also delivered by Fu Qinglan before Heaven and Earth Peak sealed its gates.
Luo Chen spent a day examining it and concluded that while its power was exceedingly weak, it indeed shared a fundamental likeness with the Lanke Black Chess Piece he had obtained from Ghost-God Valley years ago.
This made him even more certain that Ghost-God Valley in the Eastern Desolation possessed some connection to the Tianyuan Dao Sect of the Central Plains.
As for what kind of connection?
Luo Chen leaned toward a relationship similar to that between the Penglai Immortal Sect in the Northern Sea and the Tianyuan Dao Sect.
However, while factions in the Northern Sea were scattered and fragmented, the Eastern Desolation's dozens of cultivation domains, though seemingly independent, all fell under the dominion of the Mingyuan Sect. This was evident from how a Soul Formation mighty figure of the Mingyuan Sect had been able to command the Supreme Elders of three Nascent Soul high sects back then.
Consequently, the Tianyuan Dao Sect could not plant a Nascent Soul-level superpower in the Eastern Desolation and could only slowly exert influence through minor sects like Ghost-God Valley.
It was even possible that such a scheme had long been discerned by the Mingyuan Sect, which had quietly marginalized Ghost-God Valley before ultimately dispatching it to the opening war, leading to its destruction.
Luo Chen startled himself with this line of speculation.
If that were truly the case, the sheer scale of the Tianyuan Dao Sect's ambitions was staggering.
Yet judging from Heaven and Earth Peak's grand scheme to recruit Nascent Soul True Persons from the four continents, his deduction stood on remarkably solid ground.
*Forget it. In the end, it has nothing to do with me; I am merely a passerby,*
Luo Chen comforted himself.
He then turned his attention back to the changes within his nascent true fire.
A full year had passed since he left the Fu family's Wangwu Mountain Range.
After digesting the Wither-Source Fire Pith, the Wither-Bloom True Fire had been steadily waning.
Originally, the rate of decline was slow, but Luo Chen discovered that after arriving at Heaven and Earth Peak, the process accelerated considerably.
Now, a year later, the Wither-Bloom True Fire within his Purple Mansion had weakened to the absolute limit, leaving behind only a slender flame tinged with gold amidst cyan.
*After declining from its zenith, should it not be time for the embers to reignite?*
Just as this thought crossed Luo Chen's mind...
He was greeted not by reigniting embers, but by the toll of a bell and the rumble of drums.
A single bell chime echoed between heaven and earth.
Nineteen drumbeats resounded, and Heaven and Earth Peak opened.
An aged, weather-beaten, yet mellow voice drifted into Luo Chen's ears like spring wind and gentle rain, carrying across the tens of thousands of li surrounding Heaven and Earth Peak to reach every living soul.
"Heaven and Earth Peak opens, all cultivators gather. The Alchemy Saint ascends, the Mountain and Sea rejoice!"
Luo Chen took a deep breath. Without the slightest hesitation, he cast a Cleansing Art upon himself and bound his loose hair with a wooden hairpin.
Slowly rising, he smoothed the nonexistent creases from his robes, then drifted out of the immortal cave toward the sea of clouds plaza above.
Wherever he passed, spiritual qi surged, dancing in celebration.
As far as the eye could see, countless streaks of light gathered toward the cloud-piercing Heaven and Earth Peak like tiny mayflies.
Chapter 747