Within the Luotian Sect, things grew bustling due to the upcoming patrol duty.
Under Li Yingzhang's direction, cultivators were selected one by one and assigned to the detachment.
Ordinarily, in situations like this, most would have felt deep dread, for none knew whether they would ever return alive from such a mission. In the past, the Luotian Sect had lacked a Nascent Soul powerhouse and could never make its voice heard among the human race's upper echelons. Whenever war broke out, they were invariably sent to the most perilous fronts.
That the Luotian Sect—once home to nearly ten thousand disciples—had dwindled to a mere few hundred was all because of mission after mission.
This time, however, everyone was far calmer. At the very least, their faces showed little panic.
As for the reason...
"For this expedition to Lingtian Pass, the Supreme Elder will be leading the detachment in person! All of you, perform well, and do not hold him back!"
"Those whose names are called, proceed to Elder Tianxuan to draw your supplies."
"Spirit beast bags, Spirit-Nurturing Pellets, Fasting Pills... And do not waste these talismans! They were crafted personally by the Supreme Elder for you, and their power is tremendous! Qi Refinement disciples receive one each, while Foundation Establishment cultivators are issued one Blazing Sun Talisman as standard. In addition, you may each select another second-tier talisman of an element suited to you."
"We depart in three days! Before then, inspect your dharma artifacts and robes thoroughly. If there is any damage, report it at once!"
With a Nascent Soul Supreme Elder personally escorting them to Lingtian Pass, every member was naturally filled with confidence.
Li Yingzhang was well aware of this, yet when giving instructions to each cultivator, his gentle tone remained laced with strict discipline.
His greatest fear was that the disciples, emboldened by the Supreme Elder's backing, might suddenly turn arrogant and reckless.
Faced with the new sect master's earnest reminders, the chosen disciples listened attentively.
Counting from the days of the Luotian Association, the Luotian Sect had existed for exactly two hundred years.
Across those two centuries, three generations of sect masters had taken the helm.
The first generation, Sima Huiniang, had been strictly selfless and unsparing, thinking only of the sect's interests. For the sect's sake, her eldest brother, Sima Xian, had died in battle, and her third brother, Sima Wenjie, had never received the resources to form his core, eventually betraying the sect out of hatred. It could be said that the cultivators of the Luotian Sect held absolute reverence for their founding master, Sima Huiniang, and none dared cross her authority.
The second generation, Yao Mingyue, had not been particularly remarkable. Under her governance, the Luotian Sect had steadily declined. Yet no one blamed her; everyone knew that under those circumstances, Yao Mingyue, being merely at Foundation Establishment, had already done the best anyone could have asked.
As for the third sect master, Li Yingzhang, he had kept a low profile since the day he took office, neither boasting nor making grand displays. Yet gradually and quietly, he had thoroughly sorted through the sect's affairs. From top to bottom, he maintained just the right rapport with everyone, handling interpersonal nuances with practiced ease.
To outsiders, Li Yingzhang's role as sect master appeared remarkably effortless.
Above him, the Supreme Elder anchored everything.
Below him, having weathered a century of warfare, the cultivators possessed a unity forged through hardship.
What he had to do now was patch leaks, attend to matters large and small, and patiently draw out the potential of every single member.
It looked easy from afar, but putting it into practice involved an ordeal far beyond what any outsider could fathom.
After calling out twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators, Tianxuan walked over.
"Regarding the Golden Core cultivators, have you decided which three to send?"
Li Yingzhang showed a rare trace of hesitation.
In his view, even though the Supreme Elder possessed earth-shattering capabilities, one could never afford the slightest carelessness. Naturally, the sect's strongest Golden Core combatants should accompany him to Lingtian Pass.
Looking across the entire Luotian Sect, the strongest Golden Core forces were undeniably Wang Yuan, Sima Huiniang, and Elder Tianxuan, who had recently arrived.
Yet the Supreme Elder seemed to have other ideas.
***
"You don't need me to go?"
"No."
"What about that big fellow down in the earth veins?"
"Black King won't be going either. He will stay at Mount Daqing to guard the sect alongside you. Heh, it's precisely because he returned ahead of schedule that I have the confidence to step out."
"Who do you plan to take?"
"Chu Kui will be one. He fought alongside me in the past and understands my way of doing things. Besides, he formed his core early, so he doesn't need to consolidate his realm. I'll take Yang Pingdu as well; as the sect's Law Enforcement Elder, he has a deft hand for keeping disciples in line, and this gives me a chance to examine his cultivation progress. Lastly, bring along your disciple, and that will be enough."
"You mean Xiao Long?"
"Yes. As the leading figure of the Luotian Sect's younger generation, the more trials he experiences and the greater the reputation he builds, the more it will bolster the confidence of our lower-tier disciples. What, are you reluctant to part with your precious disciple?"
Wang Yuan set down the bamboo slips in his hand, his expression utterly placid.
"It's always good for him to weather the trials of the cultivation world. Otherwise, he will always think too well of human nature. But taking only these people... if real trouble strikes, there won't be anyone to help you."
At that, Luo Chen burst into hearty laughter.
"You worry too much. With my current reputation, if trouble truly arises, plenty of people will be eager to lend me a hand."
Suddenly, his smile vanished.
"On the contrary, under such renowned standing, if I were to keep powerhouses like you and Black King at my side, who wouldn't see the Luotian Sect as a massive threat to their future?"
"A threat?"
Wang Yuan unconsciously furrowed his brows.
Yet a moment later, he realized the distinct nature of Luo Chen's current identity.
A Grandmaster of the Alchemical Dao was a paramount figure fully capable of propping up an entire great sect single-handedly.
If the juniors and disciples under him were all extraordinary talents as well, everyone would feel a dagger at their back!
Back then, Perfected Shenyuan had personally nurtured five Nascent Soul cultivators. With Luo Chen's alchemy, given time, he would produce even more!
Could the Eastern Desolation tolerate such a formidable presence?
"To stand in the sharp light of prominence, one person is enough. The rest of you must bide your time and build your strength, waiting for the day to stun the world with a single cry."
So Luo Chen said.
Then, with a casual wave of his hand across the table, a row of jade bottles and a jade slip appeared.
"This is Black Emperor Paste. I refined it in my spare time recently. Though using it is excruciatingly painful, it has miraculous effects on strengthening the physique. You are only a step away from the fourth realm of body refinement, so perhaps these external aids can help you. Unfortunately, raw materials in the sect are scarce, and I could only manage to refine ten bottles. The directions for taking it, refinement insights, and relevant taboos are all recorded in the jade slip."
Wang Yuan glanced at them and tucked them away as a matter of course.
Whatever Luo Chen gave him, he never doubted.
Then, he naturally handed a scroll to Luo Chen.
"What is this?" Luo Chen asked with curiosity.
He casually unrolled the scroll. Upon it were baffling footprints that seemed to follow no discernible pattern.
Wang Yuan said in a deep voice, "Do you still remember that set of *Wind, Moon, Thunder, and Cloud Tread the Immortal Path* you gave me back then?"
"Could this be...?" Luo Chen was astonished, realizing what it meant.
Wang Yuan nodded. "This is precisely the missing move I deduced by combining the shifts of vital blood. It does not emphasize offense, but rather shifting and maneuvering in the midst of battle—bizarre footwork with unpredictable variations. It may differ somewhat from the original Moon Step, but in my view, it is by no means inferior."
"However, if you wish to cultivate it, you lack astral qi. Relying solely on a mighty physique and dharmic power, your fluidity of variation might fall slightly short compared to us body cultivators."
At this point, Wang Yuan let out a sigh of slight regret.
"A complete *Wind, Moon, Thunder, and Cloud Tread the Immortal Path* is unquestionably a peak fourth-tier body-refining art. It combines swift attacks, combat mobility, long-distance travel, and instantaneous bursts into one, capable of completely closing the gap between a body cultivator and an immortal cultivator. What a pity that aside from Thunder Kick, a full three forms were missing. With my ability, I can currently only reconstruct the Moon Step. As for the remaining Wind Leg and Cloud Tread, I am powerless for now."
Luo Chen listened to Wang Yuan's lament while gazing at the scroll with great interest.
When his vital blood washed over the scroll, those baffling footprints seemed to come alive, turning nimble and vibrant.
Evidently, this was a template Wang Yuan had transcribed using his own methods.
Without powerful vital blood, even someone who obtained this scroll would never be able to learn it.
Under his perception, those crescent-like footprints were not only astonishingly nimble, but also brimming with immense explosive power.
Luo Chen understood in an instant that Wang Yuan had incorporated Luo Chen's self-created Airburst Step into it.
In that case, mastering it would be far easier for him.
Rolling up the scroll, Luo Chen felt quite exhilarated.
"Having two forms is already splendid. If I find opportunities later, I'll collect more leg technique manuals for you to study."
"I leave the Luotian Sect in your hands. If you run into trouble, order Black King about as you please; he will listen to you."
With that, he took the scroll and hurried out of the Library Pavilion.
As he stepped outside, he brushed past a gray-robed cultivator who was sweeping the ground with a lowered head.
Luo Chen paused briefly, but said nothing.
Only after he had departed did the gray-robed cultivator raise his head, gazing at his receding back with a complicated expression.
A cold gust swept past, causing a tickle in his throat, and he could not help but cough twice.
Perhaps the cough was too loud, startling the person within the Library Pavilion.
Wang Yuan's deep voice drifted out: "Zui, sweep the third floor today. Min Longyu rearranged the mountain-protecting array a few days ago, and the rumbling of the earth veins sent quite a bit of dust onto the shelves."
The gray-robed cultivator named Zui gave an acknowledgment, then slowly walked up the stairs, his figure vanishing into the depths of the sea of books.
***
The news that Luo Chen, the Alchemy Grandmaster, would personally arrive at Lingtian Pass soon spread throughout the towering city.
Countless cultivators kept a close eye on the movements of this powerhouse who had risen like a blazing comet.
Rumor had it that he had risen from humble beginnings and possessed immense personal charisma, with many already following him when he was merely in the Qi Refinement stage.
Rumor had it that his combat prowess was exceptional, having once held an illustrious record of being invincible beneath the Golden Core realm throughout an entire domain, standing supreme among Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Rumor had it that he had entered a demon sacred ground and emerged alive, shrouding his figure in an aura of mystery.
Especially after his return from the Northern Sea after a century, already at the Nascent Soul realm, his legend had taken on an almost miraculous sheen.
Upon his return to the Eastern Desolation, he had suppressed Motian and forged vast connections through his alchemical mastery. At his Nascent Soul ceremony, Castellan Lingtian had personally offered congratulations, Perfected Xianhe had openly declared Luo Chen his dear friend, Fenghua Palace was tied to him by marriage, and even the veteran powerhouse Jiuling Yuanjun had spoken of Luo Chen's gentlemanly grace.
Regardless of how much truth or falsehood lay in those rumors, everyone knew at least one thing: Luo Chen had slain Yin Sixiang—the Golden Core pinnacle cultivator most likely to break through to Nascent Soul among the Five Elements Divine Sect's younger generation—right before countless eyes, yet remained entirely unscathed.
Even now, Perfected Shenyuan, the divine sect's forefather once hailed as number one in the Far East, had not sought him out for an accounting.
From this alone, it was evident that Luo Chen had truly come into his own!
Consequently, upon receiving word that Luo Chen would grace Lingtian Pass in person, many cultivators prepared early to catch a glimpse of his true countenance.
The day arrived swiftly.
A massive cloud carriage flew neither hurried nor slow across the expanse of the Fenghua Domain.
Unlike the ostentatious Six Imperial Flying Cloud Carriage of the past, this cloud carriage had undergone Min Longyu's modifications and was now entirely different.
Banners fluttered high upon it, emblazoned with the Luotian Sect's emblem of a cauldron rising to the pill sun.
High-spirited Qi Refinement disciples stood along both sides holding dharma artifacts, while spiritual cranes circled and hovered about the perimeter, occasionally landing on the deck to rest.
Even more prominent were the Foundation Establishment True Cultivators walking among them with impressive bearing.
Occasionally, the figures of one or two Golden Core masters could be glimpsed.
Houses and palace halls of varying sizes rose and fell across the vessel, the light of formations shimmering intermittently.
One could readily imagine that once committed to battle, this cloud carriage would transform into a mobile fortress unleashing formidable firepower.
Inside the central palace hall, Luo Chen felt satisfied, yet somewhat regretful.
Min Longyu's modifications to the Six Imperial Flying Cloud Carriage could already be considered impeccable, tailored specifically for the current strategic situation. However, even the cleverest housewife cannot cook without rice; the carriage had originally been an artifact-grade flying vessel meant merely to flaunt the prestige of the Baizao Mountain master, so its offensive and defensive foundation was simply too weak.
If the skeletal frame of a fourth-tier demon emperor could be incorporated into it, its ceiling would rise dramatically.
It would be like the Jianji of the Tianyuan Dao Sect, cutting through waves upon the sea and traversing the skies with none daring to stand in its path.
"Chu Kui, we're heading to the battlefield together once more. How does it feel?"
Sitting beside him, Chu Kui said casually, "No particular feeling. You're so formidable now—can't you just shelter me?"
"Haha, you... why have you lost that spirit from back when you took the initiative to invite me to roam the tens of thousands of li of yellow sand?" Luo Chen chuckled.
Chu Kui replied languidly, "Back then, I took myself for somebody, so my pride naturally ran high; I even gave myself the Daoist title Tiankuizi. But after forming my core, I realized there is always someone better, always a heaven beyond heaven, and the world's powerhouses are as countless as carp crossing a river. With my meager ability, merely keeping myself alive is already an achievement, so why talk of making a name for myself?"
Luo Chen smiled and did not press him further.
People differed from one another. Some would rise against adversity, while others, upon seeing the vast azure sky and the bright moon, realized their own insignificance and beat a retreat.
Put charitably, that was knowing one's own limits.
And for the Luotian Sect today, Chu Kui's mindset was actually quite suitable.
The younger generation was far too restless!
Having Chu Kui keep an eye on them would at least ensure no major trouble broke out.
"These disciples... I hope we can bring them all back whole and sound when the time comes!"
Chu Kui appeared somewhat surprised. "With you overseeing things, could anything really go wrong?"
Luo Chen shook his head. "Before the grand tide of circumstances, even a Sacred Ground of Soul Transformation can be wiped from existence, to say nothing of a mere Nascent Soul like me."
Chu Kui paused. But thinking back to his own experience of despair regarding the bleak path of cultivation after forming his golden core, he felt a shared resonance with Luo Chen.
Luo Chen was a True Person; the reality of the world he saw was bound to be even deeper than what Chu Kui perceived.
Maintaining a sense of awe and reverence was never a mistake.
Luo Chen chatted no further, taking a book from his storage ring to read carefully.
*Blade Dominance Domain: occupied by the Blade Dominance Sect. This sect has flourished for merely eighteen hundred years, yet its internal cohesion is exceedingly strong! Ever since carving out a domain during the opening war, the Blade Dominance Sect has reigned supreme over it, forbidding any faction from encroaching upon their territory. When the great tide collapsed, ten thousand cultivators retreated, yet the Blade Dominance Sect remained unmoving as a mountain, stubbornly defending their domain. Currently, the Blade Dominance Domain and the two domains of Bikong and Huoling are surrounded tight by the demon army; the fate of the cultivators in the three domains remains unknown.*
"Did these Blade Dominance Sect cultivators train their blades until their brains turned to mush? The demon army arrived, and they didn't even withdraw?"
Luo Chen muttered a few words, then continued reading below.
*Bikong Domain: occupied by Bikong Mountain. The founder of Bikong Mountain, Old Man Bikong, cultivated an ancient wonder art; when his domain unfolded, it earned the renown of the Jade Sea and Cerulean Sky. His successors failed to master the craft, and rumor has it they can no longer manifest that Jade Sea and Cerulean Sky...*
Blade Dominance, Bikong, and Huoling were the three frontline domains lying before Lingtian Pass.
Under the siege of the demon race, they had held out for nearly a decade.
Such a feat drew the gaze and admiration of the world.
Yet as time went on and the demon forces steadily converged, no one held out hope for them any longer.
Once the three domains fell, the vanguard of the demon race would point straight at Lingtian Pass!
As the cloud carriage arrived beneath Lingtian Pass, Luo Chen closed the book with a somber expression.
Looking up at the towering ramparts fluttering with banners, he murmured to himself:
"I only hope that during my duty, the demons won't come knocking at the pass."
Chapter 800