Shenyuan's Wounds, Going in Person to Lingtian

"Please!" A single word of dismissal, and all fell silent. Perfected Shenyuan gazed at that solitary, distant silhouette and lapsed into silence. One, two, three—a full three combatants of Nascent Soul caliber. Jiuling Yuanjun's dharmic power had always been widely acclaimed. According to the intelligence reports, Luo Chen also commanded an exceptionally domineering, wondrous flame, suspected to border on the fifth tier. Most of all, an unidentified presence lurking in the shadows had somehow attuned itself to heaven and earth, discovering his presence before anyone else. "In the end, he has truly come into his own." He had merely intended to observe from the shadows; the talk of paying a visit had been nothing more than a probe. Under these circumstances, lingering was clearly no longer in his favor. Perfected Shenyuan cast a deep, lingering glance at Luo Chen, then quietly retreated. Luo Chen made no move to stop him. It wasn't fear—he had known all along that a day would come when he had to face Perfected Shenyuan directly. Besides, he had allies at his side now. His reason for refraining from striking lay in his own reservations. On the surface, neither side had openly broken ties, nor had the man's designs on him been made public. Under such conditions, striking rashly would merely be failing to kill the snake, inviting future calamity. Furthermore, after truly meeting Perfected Shenyuan face to face, Luo Chen had lost any absolute certainty. "A hostile late-stage Nascent Soul grand cultivator exerts such immense pressure on me!" Looking in the direction the man had departed, Luo Chen let out a long breath of turbid air. ... "He wasn't brought here by me!" The moment they returned, Jiuling Yuanjun distanced himself from the matter. Luo Chen nodded, not pursuing it. Jiuling Yuanjun breathed a sigh of relief, then asked with a look of wariness, "Do you have a grudge with the Five Elements Divine Sect's ancestor?" "I killed the disciple with the brightest prospect of reaching the Nascent Soul stage in his sect right before the eyes of countless people. Wouldn't you say there's a grudge?" Luo Chen countered with a smile. Jiuling Yuanjun frowned, not quite convinced by this explanation. Forget a mere disciple! Back when the Five Elements Divine Sect was forced to flee the Five Elements Domain, countless outstanding disciples had died; even among the elders of the Five Peaks, two were slain and one was wounded, yet that old fellow had never intervened in person. Luo Chen seemed quite relaxed at this moment. With a smile, he asked, "What do you know about this man Shenyuan?" Jiuling Yuanjun pondered for a moment before replying, "He is exceedingly formidable. Among the countless cultivators of the Eastern Desolation, aside from the experts of the Mingyuan Sect, he ranks at the absolute pinnacle. If not for the severe injuries he sustained in the battle of Mount Cangwu all those years ago, the Five Elements Divine Sect would never have fallen to such a state." "Before that battle, he practically elevated the declining Five Elements Divine Sect to the level of a Nascent Soul upper sect through his strength alone." "He led his disciples in waging an opening war, and later tutored five Nascent Soul True Persons himself, completely dominating an entire domain." "It is fair to say that Perfected Shenyuan was exceptionally distinguished, both in personal power and charismatic leadership. Even Ancestor Hehuan and Tianji Huiping, who shared his renown in those days, fell short of him. Only the Supreme Elder of the Dongyang Sect could truly compare to him." "Because of this, even though rumors abounded that his grave injuries would never heal and the Five Elements Divine Sect declined and withered, no one dared to provoke him." Luo Chen quietly listened to Jiuling Yuanjun's description of his foe. While there might be some bias, Jiuling Yuanjun was also a long-renowned top expert in the Eastern Desolation; the esteem for Perfected Shenyuan woven into his words could not be faked. For someone like him to hold Shenyuan in such high regard showed just how immense the man's influence was. And such an existence just happened to be his enemy! "If you have a grievance with him, I think it would be best to clear it up as soon as possible," Jiuling Yuanjun hesitated, then said earnestly. "If necessary, I can serve as a mediator to broker peace between you." Luo Chen smiled and asked, "If my feud with him is immense, will he give you that face?" Jiuling Yuanjun frowned. Soon, however, he said with confidence, "Certainly not right now. But once I obtain the Jiuli Pills and master that grand technique, I believe Shenyuan will grant me face." Luo Chen gave a hearty laugh. "Forget it, what comes later can wait! This time, you were willing to stand by me, and Luo is truly grateful." As he spoke, he pushed the nine jade bottles containing the medicinal pills toward the man one by one. "I have fulfilled your trust!" Jiuling Yuanjun took a deep breath, received the nine jade bottles, and inspected them one by one. Cross-referencing the records from his sect's ancient texts, he examined the pills' colors, vein patterns, overflowing medicinal potency, and more. In the end, the joy on his face could no longer be contained. Sweeping all the jade bottles into his sleeves, he cupped his hands in a formal bow. "Fellow Daoist Luo, many thanks!" Luo Chen waved his hand with a smile. "If you ever have need in the future, feel free to come to me. On the path of cultivation, should we not support one another and strive toward the Great Dao together?" "Indeed! Most true!" Faced with Luo Chen's goodwill, how could Jiuling Yuanjun refuse? Moreover, the courage Luo Chen had displayed earlier—facing Shenyuan head-on at merely the early Nascent Soul stage—had truly impressed him. So long as an exceptional talent like this did not fall, he was bound to become one of the top experts in the Eastern Desolation's cultivation world. "Then I shall take my leave." "After you!" Luo Chen personally escorted him down the mountain, seeing him all the way beyond Baili Qingchuan. He had fulfilled every courtesy of a host. Before departing, Jiuling Yuanjun suddenly spoke up. "Fellow Daoist, in my eyes, your dharmic power far surpasses your peers, rivaling even ordinary mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators. In the future, you need only cultivate step by step. When you reach my realm, you will surely be no weaker than me. Why go seeking extremes?" "My method may sound wondrous, but in truth, its flaws are immense. Taking extreme elements into the body throws the Three Treasures into chaos, causing agonizing torment. The world speaks only of my vast dharmic power, yet never credits me with great divine abilities—that is one of the prices I paid." "Now, fortunate enough to receive the Jiuli Pills to help me shed these shackles, I, Jiuling, am boundlessly grateful." "Therefore, I specifically advise you, Fellow Daoist: do not lead yourself astray!" With that, without waiting for any reaction from Luo Chen, he drifted away. He left Luo Chen standing where he was, lost in thought. ... Inside the cave dwelling. Luo Chen silently turned over Jiuling Yuanjun's parting words in his mind. Flashes of inspiration seemed to flicker, yet he could never quite grasp the core. Just then, misty vapor spread across the ground, and Black King cautiously poked his head out. "Did that guy leave?" Without raising his head, Luo Chen asked, "Do you mean Jiuling, or Shenyuan?" Seeing how calm his master was, Black King let out a sigh of relief. "The old fellow Shenyuan, of course!" Putting aside Jiuling Yuanjun's parting counsel, Luo Chen looked at Black King, who had been startled awake. "How did you detect him? Neither Jiuling Yuanjun nor I noticed his arrival. If you hadn't warned me, I might still be in the dark." As he spoke, a faint trace of lingering fear showed on Luo Chen's face. No matter how outsiders described the might of late-stage Nascent Soul grand cultivators, it was ultimately just an abstract concept, too vague to grasp. Only when facing Shenyuan in person had he felt that wordless oppression. It wasn't merely dharmic power, but pressure upon the soul! The man had approached Baili Qingchuan silently without alerting them, without even disturbing the mountain-protecting grand formation. One could imagine the strength of his soul! Yet, despite such concealment, Black King had detected him. Faced with Luo Chen's inquiry, Black King was startled at first, then puffed up with pride. "He was so glaringly obvious, like a candle in the dead of night! He woke me right up." Luo Chen was taken aback. "Glaringly obvious?" "Yeah! When that old fellow moved, the surrounding worldly spiritual energy couldn't wait to rush toward him. Even though he forcibly suppressed that tendency, all the spiritual energy within a hundred li of Mount Daqing was drawn in by my respiration. If someone tries to wrestle away control from me, of course I'd sense it." As he spoke, Black King still looked thoroughly indignant. The abundant spiritual energy within a hundred li of Mount Daqing right now was all attracted by him while he slept. If someone tried to rob him of that control, he naturally wouldn't be pleased. "Are you sure it was only spiritual energy?" Black King paused, reflecting carefully, before his expression turned uncertain and perplexed. "It seems... it wasn't just spiritual energy?" Luo Chen asked no further; a definite suspicion had already formed in his mind. That was not spiritual energy, but the fundamental primordial energy of the world! In other words, origin qi! Having the world's origin qi voluntarily flock toward oneself might sound like a wonderful thing. In reality, it was anything but good! Origin qi was pure and domineering, yet also exceedingly chaotic and variegated. It was the fundamental energy that gave rise to all things in creation, encompassing spiritual qi of every attribute. Nascent Soul cultivators could not effectively harness such power at all. Back in the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven, Luo Chen had absorbed a strand of origin qi through his comprehension of the Wither-Bloom true intent, and even now he had yet to fully refine it. That showed just how difficult it was! It was precisely through this experience that Luo Chen gained a deeper understanding of origin qi. Such power could only be manipulated and utilized by Soul Formation cultivators, who could unravel its threads to extract the specific elemental spiritual energy they desired. Nascent Soul cultivators, on the other hand, had to avoid it as much as possible, ideally using their purple mansion as a barrier to seal off the inside from the outside. If a mere Nascent Soul cultivator were truly enveloped in massive amounts of worldly origin qi, only two outcomes awaited them: Either use it to ascend to the Soul Formation stage! Or have their Nascent Soul assimilated by the world, becoming part of the origin qi itself! Given Perfected Shenyuan's cultivation realm, he was likely still far from the Soul Formation stage. Therefore, only the latter possibility remained. "It seems that in the battle of Mount Cangwu back then, even if he survived, he didn't fare much better!" "Origin qi rushing toward him on its own indicates that his physical body suffered catastrophic damage, to the point where even his purple mansion—which shelters the Nascent Soul—has developed a flaw, unable to perfectly isolate the interior from the exterior. That is why, when facing the three of us, he chose to withdraw on his own initiative. Otherwise, if a fight truly broke out, whoever won or lost, his injuries would undoubtedly worsen." "If that's truly the case, dealing with him might not be as insurmountable as I imagined?" As he pondered deeply, Luo Chen unconsciously curled his fingers. A faint, profound resonance flickered into being. Black King's eyes widened instantly! ... Days of secluded cultivation inevitably came to an end. Living under another's roof meant one could not enjoy food and drink for free; there was a price to be paid. The Luotian Sect had to dispatch personnel to Lingtian Pass to perform patrol duties, and it could no longer be delayed. Originally, it should have been the Luotian Sect's turn two years ago. However, Castellan Lingtian had held it back, granting them these two years of peace and comfort. Now, their turn had finally arrived. In the Luotian Grand Hall, Li Yingzhang faced a disciple of the Mingyuan Sect who served directly under Castellan Lingtian with a respectful countenance. Yet his words fought vigorously on reason. "Why do we need to dispatch so many people this time?" Clad in a black Daoist robe, the young cultivator replied with cold aloofness, "Times have changed. In the past, you were merely a Golden Core power, but now that you possess a Nascent Soul expert, it is only natural that you contribute a greater share." Li Yingzhang was left speechless. He had never imagined this would be the reason. Just then, Luo Chen stepped into the hall. Li Yingzhang hurriedly came forward to welcome him. "Supreme Elder!" "Yes, I already know what this is about." Luo Chen waved his hand and looked at the young cultivator. The young man's cold pride softened slightly, and he bowed to Luo Chen. "Ye Hong greets True Person Luo!" "Ye Hong? Are you a descendant of Castellan Lingtian?" Luo Chen asked with a warm smile. Ye Hong nodded. "The castellan is indeed my grandfather." Luo Chen looked thoughtful, then asked, "Is this also Castellan Lingtian's intention?" Ye Hong immediately explained, "Indeed. Over the past two years, my grandfather delayed your patrol duties under the pretext that the Luotian Sect had only recently ascended to a Nascent Soul upper sect and needed time to reorganize. But now, pressure on Lingtian Pass is steadily mounting, so you can no longer continue resting and recuperating." So that was it. Luo Chen understood Castellan Lingtian's intentions. If the Luotian Sect wanted the prestige of a Nascent Soul upper sect, it naturally had to shoulder the corresponding responsibilities. Otherwise, reaping benefits without bearing burdens would not sit well with the other sects. Under the current circumstances, two years was already quite long. Luo Chen's reputation had also steadily grown. "Since that is the case, my Luotian Sect will dispatch the appropriate personnel!" Ye Hong breathed a sigh of relief. "True Person is truly reasonable and magnanimous. This junior shall return to report." "Tianxuan, see him off." "Understood." Standing to the side, Tianxuan personally escorted Ye Hong down Mount Daqing, putting in a few kind words along the way to smooth over the previous tension. After they left, Li Yingzhang informed Luo Chen of the headcount the Luotian Sect was required to send this time: One hundred late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators; if there were not enough, double the number of mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivators would fill the quota. Twenty Foundation Establishment True Cultivators; if there were not enough, triple the number of late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators would fill the quota. Three Golden Core cultivators; here, there was no option of having too few—any sect with the foundation of a major power possessed at least three Golden Core cultivators. Without that number, it wouldn't even deserve to be called a major Golden Core sect. The Luotian Sect currently had barely three hundred people in total. Sending out so many at once was draining almost half of their strength. If any misfortune befell them, the Luotian Sect would suffer crippling damage. Upon learning of these terms, Luo Chen asked about the contingents dispatched by the other Nascent Soul upper sects. The answer: theirs were even greater! "From the looks of it, Castellan Lingtian has already treated us with considerable leniency," Luo Chen nodded slightly. Li Yingzhang smiled bitterly. "We can manage to send three Golden Core cultivators, and by gritting our teeth, twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators aren't impossible either. But as for the bottom-tier late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators, how could the Luotian Sect scrape together a hundred of them right now?" Luo Chen, however, showed no concern. "Selecting fifty will be enough." Li Yingzhang was bewildered. Their required quota was already smaller than that of other Nascent Soul powers, and now he wanted to reduce it further? Then, he watched as Luo Chen stood up and flicked his wide sleeves with easy grace. "If I go in person, surely I can stand in for fifty Qi Refinement cultivators." Li Yingzhang could not help but be flabbergasted. If the Supreme Elder mobilized in person, forget fifty Qi Refinement cultivators—even five hundred or five thousand would not match a single finger of his! Yet... With a faint smile, Luo Chen said, "After stillness comes the urge to move. It is about time I made a trip to Lingtian Pass to see what the frontline is truly like. I imagine the people there should welcome me warmly!" A grandmaster of alchemy, visiting the frontline in person. Who could possibly refuse?