While the onlookers were still envying the bright future of the Fu family elder and his granddaughter, True Person Qideng was envying Luo Chen from the bottom of his heart.
In fact, he didn't even bother with beating around the bush and stated his desire outright.
"Fellow Daoist Luo, I wonder if you would be willing to part with that Tianji Pill?"
On the mountain path, Luo Chen stopped in his tracks.
*So that's what this is about!*
No wonder he had felt puzzled earlier about why True Person Qideng had braved the pressure of so many clans to speak up on his behalf. It turned out the elder had set his sights on that Tianji Pill all along.
Moreover, his timing was impeccable—neither a moment too early nor a moment too late.
It was as though he had been waiting specifically for Luo Chen to emerge, which showed this had been planned for a long time.
True Person Qideng took two more steps before realizing Luo Chen had stopped, and he paused as well.
Turning back, he said candidly, "You might not know this, but the Tianji Pill is vital for late Nascent Soul cultivators of our generation looking to advance to Soul Formation. At your current realm, it serves little purpose; consuming it would at most bolster your mana and raise your cultivation by a minor realm or two.
"Late Nascent Soul cultivators yearn for such a treasure in their dreams, including the experts of those great clans. Earlier, their attention was simply focused on the Grotto-Heaven Grand Competition, and with so many people present, it was awkward for them to speak up. Once they collect themselves, someone will surely come knocking on your door.
"When that time comes, you will face pressure from various great clans, and perhaps even those mighty figures in the Tianyuan Dao Sect might take an interest.
"You cannot keep it safe!"
The corners of Luo Chen's mouth curved slightly as he asked in return, "And what about you, Elder? Can you keep it safe?"
Elder Qideng nodded with supreme confidence.
"Of course I can! By virtue of my late Nascent Soul realm, by virtue of being one of the Five Great Elders of the Star Gate, and by virtue of this pill being crafted by the former Star Gate elder, the Alchemy Saint!"
Luo Chen nodded with understanding.
With his own early Nascent Soul cultivation and newly arrived status as an external guest elder, it truly would be difficult to hold onto the Tianji Pill.
Yet whether in terms of strength, status, or his ties with the Alchemy Saint, no one in the entire Central Plains would try to seize it from Qideng by force.
Seeing Luo Chen nod, Elder Qideng was overjoyed.
"Do you agree?"
Luo Chen suddenly asked, "Since this pill is of such immense value, and even holds the key for our generation of Nascent Soul cultivators to advance to Soul Formation, what does senior intend to offer in exchange?"
Elder Qideng hesitated for a moment. He had initially intended to use the favor of speaking up on Luo Chen's behalf as part of the compensation, but this rogue cultivator was clearly not a foolish man.
Even without Qideng's intervention earlier, once the Tianyuan Sect Master made an appearance, no one would have dared disrupt the rules.
Thus, that favor was dispensable.
However, it was obvious he had come thoroughly prepared!
"In this life, I have cultivated for more than nine hundred years, traversed three continents, and amassed countless treasures.
"You have attained the Nascent Soul realm not long ago and hail from rogue cultivator origins, so you must lack handy magical treasures. I have over ten magical treasures for you to choose from, as well as a slaughter True Artifact.
"Not only that, I possess three Tier 4 cultivation methods and an incomplete Tier 5 cultivation method, more than enough to meet your cultivation needs throughout the Nascent Soul stage.
"Do you lack pills as well...?"
He truly lived up to his standing as a veteran Nascent Soul; Elder Qideng was indeed exceedingly wealthy, immediately offering a dazzling array of conditions.
At the end, he added:
"You currently hold only the status of an external guest elder, which makes cultivating on Heaven and Earth Peak rather inconvenient. If you agree, I will persuade the other elders to make you a formal Star Gate guest elder, and two hundred years from now, I will even promote you to the rank of consecrated elder!"
Faced with one tempting condition after another, Luo Chen fell somewhat silent.
Because of this silence, Elder Qideng grew increasingly delighted, believing the young man was genuinely swayed.
Yet the result was...
"My apologies. I have already consumed that pill."
Elder Qideng froze, his expression instantly turning skeptical.
"Though you spent fifty years inside the grotto-heaven, you had to protect..."
A profound, imposing aura slowly rose, bringing the old man's words to an abrupt halt.
Nascent Soul third layer!
His senses were not mistaken; the other party was indeed at the third layer of the Nascent Soul realm.
Although the fluctuations of his mana seemed somewhat volatile, it was precisely that volatility that made such a skyrocketing breakthrough appear all the more credible.
Everyone knew that before entering the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven, Luo Chen was merely at the first layer of the Nascent Soul stage.
Yet now, in the span of one year outside and fifty years within the grotto-heaven, he had surged by two minor realms. That was by no means achievable through bitter cultivation alone; only by ingesting an extraordinary divine pill like the Tianji Pill could such a leap be accomplished in a single stride.
No wonder he had been able to slaughter his way in all directions within the grotto-heaven, with no one capable of standing against him.
A cultivation at the third layer of Nascent Soul already granted him overwhelming dominance among peers who had broken through less than a century ago!
However, in that case, wouldn't all his grandstanding earlier seem utterly laughable in Luo Chen's eyes?
Just as True Person Qideng felt resentment rising in his heart, his expression shifted drastically, and he instinctively took several steps back from Luo Chen.
"Wait, that's not right?"
"There's more!"
Beside Luo Chen, an eerie power was steadily unfurling.
The moment Qideng made the slightest contact with it, he felt his own physical body—already frail in vital blood due to advanced age—overcome with a sensation of decrepit decay.
It felt as if he were an ancient tree shivering before the onset of autumn and winter.
True Person Qideng swallowed hard. "You... you had an epiphany?"
Luo Chen smiled faintly and formed an incantation gesture. The dispersing fluctuations of mana and the Wither-Bloom True Meaning were instantly suppressed back into his body by force.
"My apologies. Though I was deeply tempted by the conditions senior offered, this Luo is powerless to comply."
Elder Qideng opened his mouth, but in the end, he let out a dejected sigh.
He had kept a close watch on the grotto-heaven competition and rushed over ahead of everyone else to trade with Luo Chen, yet he was still one step too late.
As expected, what was not destined to be could not be forced!
Shaking his head, the resentment in his heart dissolved into nothing.
Whether his shift in attitude stemmed from the impossibility of obtaining the Tianji Pill, or from Luo Chen demonstrating the terrifying potential of comprehending the true meaning of the Law ahead of time, was impossible to say.
"Since that is so, let us drop the matter."
Luo Chen cupped his hands and expressed his sincere thanks.
"Earlier, senior spoke up for me out of righteousness. This Luo shall keep that kindness in mind."
Elder Qideng offered a strained smile; such a petty favor amounted to little.
However, Luo Chen was not finished speaking.
"Senior mentioned earlier that you could raise my status to that of a formal guest elder. Does that offer still stand?"
Elder Qideng let out an affirmative grunt, though his tone was far less warm than before.
"If you can still produce a precious pill on par with the Tianji Pill, I will naturally pull strings on your behalf."
Evidently, he could not!
Even though Luo Chen still possessed a Law Derivation Pill that was far more precious than the Tianji Pill, he would never bring it out.
Perhaps noticing his tone had grown too stiff, Elder Qideng adjusted his mindset slightly and asked out of curiosity, "Truth be told, given your age, does it really matter whether your guest elder status in the Star Gate is formal or not?"
"For me personally, it truly makes little difference. A plot of spiritual land and a cave abode are more than enough. However..."
Luo Chen nodded first before shifting the subject.
"...this Luo is not entirely alone in the world. I have Dao companions, disciples, spirit pets, and servants, and they too need a place to establish themselves."
*So that's how it is.*
True Person Qideng understood his meaning at once.
Compared to an external guest elder, a formal Star Gate guest elder enjoyed certain privileges.
One of them was the right to bring people close to him into the Star Gate.
Even if they could not cultivate on Heaven and Earth Peak, the Dao Sect could still allocate an area for them to settle down.
Furthermore, if Luo Chen stayed in the Star Gate for five hundred years, his juniors would even have a chance to enter the Tianyuan Dao Sect to cultivate.
Clearly, Luo Chen was seeking a formal guest elder position with these matters in mind.
True Person Qideng pondered for a moment. Perhaps out of consideration for the fact that this young man possessed potential comparable to that of a Tianyuan true disciple, he decided to do him a favor and disclose some inside information.
"This matter is actually not difficult. The reason you cannot become a formal guest elder is simply because you are too young and have not established a single merit.
"Right now, there is an exceptional opportunity for you to earn merit and become a formal guest elder."
An exceptional opportunity!
Luo Chen was taken aback, recalling something.
Before entering the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven, through Elder Qideng's introduction, he had met Hui Yuanhong, who indeed went on to fill the vacancy left by the Alchemy Saint's ascension, becoming one of Heaven and Earth Peak's nineteen elders.
Back then, in an effort to win Luo Chen over, Hui Yuanhong had said something very similar—that he had arrived at the perfect time.
And now, Elder Qideng was saying the same thing.
"May I ask, what is this opportunity?"
Elder Qideng took a deep breath, ceasing to speak aloud and switching to divine sense transmission.
"The Tianyuan Dao Sect has decided that as soon as the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven closes, troops will be dispatched to the two continents of the Northern Sea and the Western Desert. The former campaign is intended to conquer the Northern Sea cultivation world and incorporate it into the Tianyuan territory. You hail from the Northern Sea and should be quite familiar with that place. When the time comes, you will march with the Tianyuan army to the Northern Sea, storming cities and expanding our domain across mountains and seas. With your abilities, earning merits will be as easy as turning your hand.
"At that time, armed with merit, with me speaking up for you on the Star Gate's side, and with Fu Qinglan surely not begrudging a few good words on the Dao Sect's side, not only will a formal guest elder position be yours, but even the rank of consecrated elder will be easily within your grasp."
Having said his piece, Elder Qideng had nothing more to add and departed somewhat listlessly.
After his departure, Luo Chen furrowed his brows slightly.
He had long anticipated that the Tianyuan Dao Sect might send an army against the Northern Sea.
*But do I really want to return to the Northern Sea?*
***
Ever since Luo Chen stepped out of the grotto-heaven, the passage of time seemed to slow to a crawl.
It was not a shift in his lifespan, but rather that waiting for something always made the days feel like years!
The grand competition was still underway.
As long as the true disciples inside had not emerged or fallen, it had to continue.
By rough calculation, those inside could hold on for at least another fifty years before reaching their limit, which amounted to half a year in the outside world.
Only when everyone had emerged would the rankings of the competition be assessed to determine the sect's rewards.
Regardless, Fu Qinglan, who was the first to comprehend the true meaning of the Law and emerge ahead of time, was already guaranteed first place!
This also meant that Luo Chen had fulfilled his promise to Fu Chaosheng perfectly, even far exceeding expectations.
At the same time, it meant that Luo Chen no longer had any lingering attachments in the Central Plains!
Regarding the matter of the Tianyuan Dao Sect campaigning against the Northern Sea to expand their territory, Luo Chen had given it serious private thought and realized it was indeed a fine opportunity for him.
He was no stranger to the Northern Sea, and there were many grievances waiting to be settled there.
If he joined the expedition in the capacity of a Star Gate guest elder, he could kill two birds with one stone.
Before that, however, he still intended to make a trip back to the Eastern Desolation to bring those people who were growing hazy in his memories back to the Central Plains.
Luo Chen had already settled roughly on his departure date.
The conclusion of the competition would mark the moment he left the Central Plains to return to the Eastern Desolation.
For now, the shifting tides of the outside world and the discussions surrounding Luo Chen and Fu Qinglan had nothing to do with him.
Alone, he cultivated quietly inside Cave Abode No. 78 on Heaven and Earth Peak.
Just as he had revealed earlier before Elder Qideng, he truly was at the third layer of the Nascent Soul realm at this moment.
Yet unlike what Elder Qideng imagined, he had not merely stepped across the threshold!
His realm had risen somewhat astonishingly fast!
He had lingered at the peak of the first layer for a long time, even using the Wither-Bloom Divine Restriction to suppress his rapid growth in cultivation.
After entering the grotto-heaven, he naturally broke through to the second layer within a few years.
Over the next few decades, he was essentially consolidating his realm.
By all logic, Luo Chen would have been thoroughly satisfied with reaching that point.
However, during his epiphany, he had penetrated into the depths of this world's ocean of essence qi. After grasping the Wither-Bloom True Meaning, he had even received a feedback of essence qi.
That was the primordial origin of this world!
An aggregate of spiritual qi!
Even if ordinary people received such essence qi feedback, because of the differing elemental attributes of their mana, they would be unable to refine it completely and could only absorb a fraction.
Yet Luo Chen had absorbed eighty to ninety percent of it!
The colossal surge of essence qi directly propelled his cultivation into the third layer in a single breath, and had even mounted toward the fourth layer for a time!
Initially, Luo Chen had thought this phenomenon was caused by the Wither-Bloom True Fire advancing to Tier 5, but he later discovered it was brought about by his own physique.
At this moment, Luo Chen gazed at the status panel, where the entry for "Five Spirits Dao Body"—which had remained dormant beside the Fire Spirit Body for a long time—was faintly shimmering with light.
*Why is it glowing?*
*Is it due to comprehending the true meaning of the Law?*
*But my Wither-Bloom True Meaning is also a fire-attribute Law true meaning, so it shouldn't... Huh?*
Inside the cave abode, Luo Chen wore an exceedingly rare expression of astonishment.
This was the very first time he had opened his status panel since his epiphany.
Originally, he had wanted to inspect his true state through the panel's data, and was also curious why the Five Spirits Dao Body had suddenly awakened.
Yet the changes on the panel were somewhat unexpected.
Not only was there a brand-new attribute entry called [Law], but beneath it, the entry for [Wither-Bloom True Meaning] bore a prefix that was not Fire, but Wood!
This development caught Luo Chen completely off guard.
Ever since he switched his natal cultivation method to the fire attribute in the Golden Core stage, he had discarded all other attributes for the next hundred and sixty-odd years, dedicating himself solely to the path of fire.
By all reason, the true meaning of the Law he comprehended ought to be fire-attributed as well.
Yet on the status panel, this Wither-Bloom True Meaning was unequivocally categorized under the wood attribute.
He, Luo Chen, might make a mistake, but the status panel had never been wrong.
Why had this happened, then?
Luo Chen pondered deeply.
*Is it because I primarily cultivated the wood attribute during Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment? Is my foundation rooted in wood?*
*Or did I absorb the influence of Fu Qinglan while she was comprehending the Wood Origin inside the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven?*
*Or perhaps the Wither-Bloom True Fire itself has an attribute, and belongs to wood?*
*If that is truly the case, then categorizing the Wither-Bloom True Meaning under the wood attribute makes sense. After all, during my epiphany, what I witnessed and perceived was mostly the transformation between life and death, the wax and wane of all things—not the explosive, domineering force of fire, but rather the withering and flourishing of wood.*
*From this perspective, the awakening of the Five Spirits Dao Body also makes sense; I have broken free from the shackles of the Fire Spirit Body and comprehended the true meaning of another Law.*
*Does this mean that if I can comprehend the true meaning of Laws of other attributes, the Five Spirits Dao Body will fully awaken and overwrite the Fire Spirit Body?*
Faintly, Luo Chen seemed to glimpse a path toward rebuilding his Dao Body.
Even if that path appeared somewhat ethereal, perhaps even overly ambitious.
Just as Luo Chen was preparing to carefully study the shifts on the status panel to adjust his upcoming cultivation plan, his cave abode welcomed its very first visitor.
With a stir in his heart, Luo Chen raised his hand, and a voice transmission talisman flew inside.
A moment later.
Luo Chen stared with a half-smile at the ruddy-faced old man standing before him.
"Fellow Daoist Fu, you certainly kept me in the dark!"
Chapter 768