Deep beneath Mount Daqing, crisscrossing strata of rock stretched into the gloom.
Vapor from the Blackwater River seeped through, condensing into droplets across the stone surfaces.
Drip!
Drip!
Sima Wenjie jolted awake from a dream, met only by the same murky dimness. With his magic power sealed, even his sturdy physique could not fend off the biting chill brought on by the subterranean damp and the despondency weighing down his heart.
He pulled his thin blanket tighter, tilted his head to listen, and instinctively shuffled toward the prison bars.
Ssst!
A burst of light flared!
Forced back, Sima Wenjie retreated as a scornful voice sounded from beyond.
"Stay put. You didn't think you could escape a formation personally laid down by Elder Min, did you?"
Though stung by the contempt dripping from those words, Sima Wenjie recognized the voice.
"Lou Ying? It's your turn to watch over me today?"
A patch of light emerged. Lou Ying, his back stooped, slowly walked up to the cell entrance holding a luminous pearl, his silhouette nearly swallowing Sima Wenjie in shadow.
"Fancy that. You still remember me."
Looking at that face crisscrossed with deep wrinkles and marred by a gruesome claw scar, Sima Wenjie let out a sigh. "How could I fail to recognize you? Back when you ran the outer sect, you had the most disciples under you and the most troubles to handle. My Merit Hall dealt with you more than anyone else. Even if your entire face were ruined, I would still know you."
Lou Ying stroked his weathered, battle-scarred cheek and let out a low chuckle.
"The outer sect?"
After all these years of flight and exile, the Luotian Sect's outer sect had ceased to exist. Any outer disciples who survived had essentially been absorbed under the banners of the various elders.
As a rare Foundation Establishment outer elder of the Luotian Sect, he had ironically found himself with nothing to do.
Yet the more idle a man grew, the more he tended to dwell on the past. He thought of all those outer disciples who had perished before his eyes, sacrifices made so that the Luotian Sect might endure. Yet this man before him, holding high office, had sought to hand the sect over to outsiders on a silver platter.
Lou Ying held nothing but utter disdain for Sima Wenjie.
Met with that look, as though he were no better than a beast, Sima Wenjie took it impassively.
He did not believe he had done anything wrong.
Nor did he care to defend himself.
Or rather, he had no desire to debate with ordinary people.
He lifted his head, gazing into the distance toward the exit of the dungeon.
"It sounds... quite lively up there?"
"Of course it is! Today is the day our Supreme Elder holds his makeup Nascent Soul Grand Ceremony. True Persons from across the Five Domains have all been invited! There has never been a grander occasion in our Luotian Sect!"
Lou Ying's voice grew loud, ringing with pride.
Even his stooped back seemed to straighten slightly.
This was the pride of shared glory!
Sima Wenjie's expression shifted slightly. "He only just returned from afar and has no influence in the Eastern Desolation. How could he possibly attract so many Nascent Soul True Persons? You must be exaggerating!"
Lou Ying shot him a disdainful glare.
"You frog at the bottom of a well, what do you know of our Supreme Elder's prestige?"
"Let me enlighten you: True Person Xianhe of the White Crane Sect arrived at Baili Qingchuan ahead of time yesterday evening. Early this morning, before the ceremony even commenced, the First Palace Master of Fenghua Palace arrived at Mount Daqing. Just moments ago, the Sect Master of the Myriad Beasts Sect and True Person Mu of Mu Prefecture arrived side by side. And that is only part of it—more Nascent Soul True Persons are on their way, and even Castellan Lingtian is coming to offer congratulations!"
Listening to those names, each resounding like thunder in ordinary times, Sima Wenjie's gaze glazed over.
How could that man possess such immense influence?
He had spent all these years away from the Eastern Desolation, yet the moment he returned, so many fellow True Persons scrambled eagerly to pay their respects!
In a daze, scenes of Luo Chen's Foundation Establishment and Golden Core ceremonies flashed before his eyes. Each had been grander and more magnificent than the last, and now, a double-digit number of Nascent Soul True Persons had gathered in his honor.
Could lowborn bumpkins who had crawled out of Dahe Mill have ever dared to dream of such a feat?
*Could it be... that Second Sister's perseverance was right all along?*
For reasons he could not explain, Sima Wenjie's conviction wavered.
***
"This is True Person Mu, Supreme Elder of the Mu clan, and master of Mu Prefecture."
"True Person Mu!" Luo Chen performed a Daoist salute, greeting him with a smile.
The man before him wore luxurious garments and carried a peaceful demeanor. Looking at Luo Chen, he could not help but praise, "Truly as the rumors say—young, accomplished, and of profound cultivation! With such poise and grace, even experts from the sacred grounds could hardly surpass this!"
Indeed, though Luo Chen was the same person, his bearing and presence today were vastly different from ordinary days.
His simple white robe had been replaced by a Cloud Sun robe embroidered with gold trim and silver thread, elegant yet radiant with nobility.
His glossy black hair, which had hung loose over his back secured only by a simple hairpin for a century in the Northern Sea, had been meticulously arranged by Gu Caiyi's deft hands. Swept back along the sides, it was gathered beneath a tall red-gold crown transfixed by a horizontal black jade hairpin.
With a single glance, one could see the chiseled, deep-set contours of his features.
Noble, yet carrying an unmistakable aura of dominance!
So razor-sharp that one hardly dared to meet his gaze directly!
Clothes truly made the man.
In the past, Luo Chen had cared little for appearances and never made a fuss about pomp and circumstance, but today, everything had to change.
Adopting the overbearing style of Lingtian Pass, Luo Chen intended to let everyone know that this was how he conducted himself now, and how he would continue to conduct himself in the future!
After exchanging a few words with True Person Mu, Luo Chen was guided by True Person Xianhe to meet another Nascent Soul powerhouse.
With robes hanging open, a chest covered in coarse hair, and eyes as sharp as a predatory beast's, the man exuded raw power.
"This is the Supreme Elder of the Myriad Beasts Sect, Qin Baiming!"
When introducing this person, True Person Xianhe's expression looked somewhat strained.
Qin Baiming acted as though he had not noticed, instead staring at Luo Chen with a booming laugh.
"Not bad. You certainly look the part. I only wonder if what was written on the invitation is true?"
Luo Chen smiled faintly. "Fellow Daoist Qin may wait and see!"
He did not converse with him at length. Guided by True Person Xianhe, he was introduced to new acquaintances whose names he had heard many times in his youth despite never meeting them before.
True Person Mu of Mu Prefecture, Qin Baiming of the Myriad Beasts Sect.
Pavilion Master Li of Wan Jian Pavilion.
Counting Xianhe and Fenghua, he had essentially met all the indigenous True Persons of the frontline Five Domains.
As for the remaining Nascent Soul True Persons, they were even more intriguing.
There was Old Fu of the Divine Talisman Sect, whom he had met previously.
Lin Qingxuan of the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect.
Shenhuo and Jinling of the Five Elements Divine Sect.
These were the survivors of the former Far East Six Domains—or rather, Seven Domains. Tianfan was ruined, Luoyun annihilated, the Medicine King Sect had vanished into thin air, and the Hehuan Sect had been struck at its very heart. Only these three sects lingered on, barely clinging to life.
Then there were figures unfamiliar to Luo Chen: Xiao Shiniang, Mistress of the Mist and Blossom Ancient Islet;
Jiuling Yuanjun, Supreme Elder of the Nine Spirits Sect;
Lingfengzi, Supreme Elder of the Misty Sect.
These three individuals, or rather these three factions, shared an origin roughly similar to that of Divine Talisman and Jade Cauldron—they could all be categorized as "stray dogs."
Beyond the frontline Five Domains, twelve domains had already fallen to the beasts, and three others were currently engulfed in the flames of war.
The Mist and Blossom Ancient Islet, Nine Spirits, and Misty sects had once been the hegemons of those fallen twelve domains.
Now, these three factions had been parceled out among the other three domains of the Five Domains, living under the roofs of others.
Yet when Luo Chen greeted them, his attitude remained identical to before, entirely without condescension.
Truth be told, was he not a stray dog himself?
Sharing the same plight, they found a sense of mutual empathy and resonance.
Xiao Shiniang had an impatient temperament. After introductions were made, she immediately brought up the line from the invitation.
"Fellow Daoist Luo, you claimed that you can refine a hundred pills and are proficient in all of them. Is that truly so?"
Indeed, that sentence had been penned upon the invitations.
Or more accurately, it was precisely that claim that had spurred so many unfamiliar Nascent Soul experts to travel thousands of li just to attend his ceremony.
The moment the question left her mouth, every gaze in the Luotian Hall atop Mount Daqing turned toward Luo Chen.
Most were filled with skepticism.
Only True Person Xianhe stood behind Luo Chen, smiling without a word.
Even the First Palace Master of Fenghua Palace, who knew of Luo Chen's alchemical mastery, harbored some doubt at this moment.
*Refine a hundred pills, proficient in all of them!*
That was an audacious boast!
The hundred arts of cultivation spanned every aspect of a cultivator's pursuit of the Great Dao.
Among them, the alchemical path reigned supreme.
This was an ancient adage, a truth passed down by the vast multitude of low-tier cultivators.
In reality, however, as an individual's cultivation realm advanced, the auxiliary role of spirit pills grew less pronounced.
Especially once reaching the Nascent Soul realm, the efficiency of consuming pills paled in comparison to long years of seated meditation over high-tier spiritual veins.
Furthermore, high-grade pills suitable for Nascent Soul cultivators were extraordinarily scarce, and alchemists capable of refining them were rarer still.
A combination of factors had fostered an awkward paradox: the higher the realm, the lower the relative standing of the alchemical path!
However!
That circumstance applied only to the mediocre. If there existed someone capable of refining Tier 4 spirit pills, or even Tier 5 divine pills, they would remain an esteemed and illustrious presence wherever they went.
Just like the Alchemy Saint, Chu Yan!
Moreover, there was another factor.
It depended on the era.
In this present day of rampant beast turmoil, where survival hung by a thread, this pack of stray dogs lacked even a territory of their own. How could they speak of possessing high-tier spiritual veins rich in spiritual energy? In the constant throes of battle, cultivating in peaceful seclusion was out of the question.
Low-tier cultivators could still leverage the monstrous surge of resources yielded by the beast calamity to climb the realms.
Yet for powerhouses at the Nascent Soul stage, how could those resources ever compare to a stable, abundant high-tier spiritual vein?
During the century of beast calamity across the Eastern Desolation, hardly anyone seated here had enjoyed quiet periods of closed-door cultivation.
Many had seen their advancement grind to a forced halt.
Under such circumstances, spirit pills that could be taken and absorbed at any moment without relying on spiritual lands saw their value soar once more.
Why had Qu Lingjun been so highly regarded by Fenghua Palace?
Why had Old Ghost Motian coveted the Luotian Sect?
How had the Medicine King Sect—once overflowing with wealth, standing proudly over the Far East Six Domains and celebrated across all thirty-six domains of the Eastern Desolation—been destroyed in the beast tide?
All of it came down to the fact that pills stirred the hearts of men!
Thus, when Luo Chen added that single line to the invitations—*"capable of refining a hundred pills, proficient in all of them"*—even Nascent Soul True Persons who had never heard of him were moved.
A single sentence, yet dripping with monumental confidence!
Anyone possessing such attainment was no ordinary alchemist; only an Alchemical Master... no, an Alchemical Grandmaster, or perhaps an Alchemy Saint could make such a claim!
More importantly, by writing that upon the invitations, was he not subtly implying his willingness to refine spirit pills for others?
The attainment of an Alchemical Grandmaster commanded yearning and deference.
And his willingness to refine pills for them was the primary reason these invitees had come without the slightest hesitation!
Meeting the fervent gazes of the crowd, Luo Chen smiled faintly. Just as he was about to speak, his brow twitched.
Inside the hall, a gaunt man in a gold robe suddenly spoke up: "An honored guest has arrived!"
Luo Chen glanced at the man, flicked his sleeves, and strode out of the hall to receive the guest.
Behind him, the gaunt gold-robed man watched Luo Chen's retreating figure, his eyes narrowing slightly.
*"Shenhuo, is Luo Chen's skill in alchemy genuine or feigned?"*
True Person Shenhuo's divine sense transmission quickly entered his ear.
*"Likely genuine. In his youth, he was renowned throughout the Jade Cauldron Domain for his alchemy, even holding the Daoist title of Danchenzi. Jinling, didn't we discuss this before coming? Why ask again?"*
True Person Jinling's expression remained calm, but a trace of gloom lurked deep within his eyes.
*"You and I both underestimated the influence an Alchemical Grandmaster holds over Nascent Soul cultivators!"*
Shenhuo paused, then realized what he meant.
The warm deference and flattering pleasantries the crowd had showered upon Luo Chen were hardly the way one treated an unfamiliar peer.
If Luo Chen was not boasting and truly possessed the caliber of an Alchemical Grandmaster, then so long as he extended goodwill to this world, the world would repay him beyond imagination!
Low-tier cultivators would idolize him, spreading his name.
Nascent Soul cultivators would flatter and curry favor with him, or at the very least avoid deliberately offending him. If Luo Chen ever ran into trouble, how many Nascent Soul True Persons who owed him debts of gratitude would rush to his aid at a single summons?
Even those Soul Formation sacred grounds hovering above the myriad sects of the Mountain Sea Realm would not mind casting their lofty gazes down to invite Luo Chen as an honored guest.
Just like the Alchemy Saint of the Eastern Desolation in bygone days!
And Luo Chen was clearly pursuing that very path right now!
Advertising his capabilities, signaling his willingness to refine pills for others, and building his momentum.
Once this overwhelming tide took shape, what would the Five Elements Divine Sect have to counter him with?
The alliance of the Nascent Soul cultivators inside this Luotian Hall and the factions behind them alone would be enough to give the Five Elements Divine Sect a massive headache.
If Luo Chen's fame spread further and drew experts from across the Eastern Desolation to flock to his service, their Five Elements Divine Sect would likely...
"True or false, we must break his momentum first,"
Jinling murmured, his eyes narrowed.
Outside the hall, the herald's announcement rang out resoundingly.
The opening declaration left everyone stunned.
"The Mingyuan Sect bestows upon the Luotian Sect the spirit stone crafting method!"
It was neither a gift nor an offering, but a bestowal from on high.
Normally, such phrasing would be inappropriate for an occasion like this, but one had to consider the prefix:
The Eastern Desolation's sacred ground, the Mingyuan Sect!
Every person present understood perfectly what the spirit stone crafting method signified.
This was not a technique one could obtain simply by reaching the Nascent Soul realm. It was granted only to factions sanctioned by the sacred ground to launch opening wars and establish a Nascent Soul upper sect.
Many of them had experienced or witnessed this before, and all grasped its weighty meaning.
Now, this tiny Luotian Sect curled up in Baili Qingchuan had, in terms of official standing, become a Nascent Soul upper sect standing on equal footing with them!
Whatever gifts followed, none paid any further attention.
Their gazes fixed solely upon the two figures walking into the hall side by side, conversing in high spirits.
Castellan Lingtian, Ye Lingtian.
Luotian Supreme Elder, Luo Chen.
"True Person Luo, congratulations!"
"Though your noble sect is temporarily stranded in shallow waters, every disciple under your banner carries an imposing presence and remarkable grace. In time, your sect will surely flourish and manifest the glory of an upper sect!"
"Though the beasts are fierce for now, they cannot match the heritage of our human race. When we launch our counteroffensive and tread the path of opening once more, claiming a blessed land or two for the Luotian Sect, how magnificent that will be!"
Amidst a chorus of congratulations, Luo Chen cupped his hands with a beaming smile and expressed his thanks.
After exchanging pleasantries with Castellan Lingtian, he took the main seat of honor at the head of the hall.
Sweeping his eyes over everyone present, Luo Chen smiled radiantly.
"Nearly everyone is here. Let the banquet begin!"
Chapter 787