The battle outside the walls lasted less than a single day.
Fierce and menacing though the beast horde was, the Deathground Army within Lingtian Pass had been fully prepared. Deprived of any Demon Emperor–tier leader to command the assault, the battle between the cultivators under Qin Baixiang at the eastern gate and the surging beasts was nothing short of a one-sided slaughter.
Had Anming, the Six-Winged Golden Cicada, not reappeared to lead the remnants in retreat, Commander Qi Xi's direct forces might have been wiped out completely beneath the walls of Lingtian Pass.
"A great victory! A great victory!"
"The beast horde has retreated!"
Luo Chen walked down the wide streets of the fortress, accompanied by the excited cheers of cultivators rushing past. He watched the scene in silence before coming to a stop in front of a compound crowned with blue tiles and red glazed eaves.
He looked up at the plaque hanging above the entrance of the tall building.
*Luotian Treasure Pavilion*
"Esteemed guest, may I help you with—"
The Luotian Sect cultivator stationed at the doors was well trained and stepped forward warmly to receive him, only to freeze the moment he saw Luo Chen's face.
"Greetings, Supreme Elder!"
"At ease." Luo Chen gave a brief nod, asked nothing, and walked straight inside.
His divine sense informed him that Sima Huiniang was busy in the back courtyard. As he stepped through the entrance, he glanced around the vast, empty pavilion. Empty though it was now, it would surely become bustling very soon.
Hurried footsteps sounded as Sima Huiniang, having received word of his arrival, set aside her work and rushed out. Her eyes lit up the moment she saw him.
"Ruoqi, you may take your leave first."
The young woman at her side bowed respectfully to Luo Chen and obediently withdrew.
Luo Chen watched the girl's departing figure. Among the younger generation of the Luotian Sect, she was one of the few he was somewhat familiar with. She had made a name for herself back during the opening war, leaving a favorable impression on him. After all these years, though she had not yet advanced to the Golden Core stage, she possessed a solid late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation. She was a rare talent for the sect.
"You took Mei Ruoqi as your disciple?"
"With nothing else to do and you forbidding me from cultivating, I thought I might take in a few disciples to guide," Huiniang said, her eyes curving in a gentle smile. "Ruoqi is one of the standout juniors in the sect. I brought her to the Luotian Treasure Pavilion so she could gain some experience and make useful connections."
At that point, she sighed softly.
"If Caiyi's disciple hadn't died, she would have been the most suitable person to manage the Luotian Treasure Pavilion."
In her entire life, Gu Caiyi had taken only one disciple—Yuan Xiaoyue.
She was a girl Luo Chen had taken special care of during his early days at Dahe Mill, who had later formally taken Gu Caiyi as her master. Back then, the Luotian Sect was not yet a sect, but merely the Luotian Association, and all external commercial dealings fell under the Gold Hall. Xiaoyue had been sensible from an early age, working in the Gold Hall to share Gu Caiyi's burdens. In his memory, she had even succeeded in establishing her foundation.
Yet when Luo Chen returned to the Eastern Desolation, all that remained of her was a fleeting note in the *Luotian Chronicles*: *Perished during the westward flight at Taihu.*
Taihu was an expansive aquatic realm, a rare sight among the Thirty-Six Domains of the Eastern Desolation. When the beast army surged out of the Million Mountains, that region had fallen under siege by several water-attribute Demon Emperors. With no path to heaven and no way into the earth, countless cultivators had fled desperately, yet barely a handful managed to survive. Taihu Palace, the Nascent Soul upper sect that governed the Taihu Domain, was destroyed in that very battle. Even the Great Sinew of the Nine Nether Demonic Python that Luo Chen had used to craft his magic treasure was a spoil plundered from that confrontation.
One could easily imagine the ferocity of a battle where even Nascent Soul–tier Demon Emperors fell. Sent there on sect business, Yuan Xiaoyue had been unable to retreat in time, and her life was tragically cut short in the waters of Taihu.
Thinking of the past, Luo Chen's expression clouded slightly.
Noticing his mood, Sima Huiniang changed the subject. "I heard earlier that eight Demon Emperors attacked the four gates of Lingtian Pass, two at each gate. Though there was only one on your side, Husband, word is he ranks second only to Commander Qi Xi himself, and even Castellan Lingtian activating the grand formation couldn't make him stay."
"That is indeed true." Luo Chen nodded, his brow furrowing slightly. "Has news spread so quickly?"
Studying his face, Sima Huiniang replied, "Information circulates fast within the fortress; major disturbances are practically impossible to keep secret. Husband, are you unhurt?"
Knowing Huiniang was worried, Luo Chen offered a few words of reassurance. Even so, something felt off.
It was true that news traveled quickly among cultivators. Yet when it came to battles between Nascent Soul figures, low-tier cultivators rarely possessed the insight to discern the details clearly. For someone to describe the Thunder Prison Divine Roc's strength so accurately was no simple matter.
Who was spreading such details from the shadows?
"As long as you're safe, that's all that matters," Huiniang said softly. "Though we have a fortress to rely on, I have witnessed the cruelty of the beast horde. When you do battle, Husband, you must be careful!"
"I will." Luo Chen shook his head, putting the doubt aside for the moment. "I came today to leave you with a few instructions."
"Go ahead."
"After a battle of this scale, there will be countless beast carcasses. We accepted a commission from the Tianyuan Commerce Alliance to purchase carcasses on their behalf. However, many factions in the city run the same business. If the Luotian Treasure Pavilion grows too greedy, it will easily offend the established powers of the Eastern Desolation. Keep a sense of proportion and do not swallow up too large a share."
"Understood. I will keep it in mind."
"Also, among the carcasses you acquire, select a portion of the high-grade flesh and blood and send it over to Wang Yuan. He is only one step away from the fourth body refinement realm, the Flawless Golden Body, and desperately needs an abundance of quality flesh to nourish himself."
"I'll remember. I should prepare a share for Little Long as well, shouldn't I?"
Luo Chen paused before smiling faintly. Indeed, Zeng Yilong ought to have a share as well.
Once body refinement reached the third realm, it became fundamentally different from qi refinement. The third realm was known as the Furnace realm. This 'furnace' was derived from the sea of qi; it could not only store vast amounts of astral gang, but also voraciously refine the energy within flesh and blood for the cultivator's own use.
The main reason Wang Yuan had managed to reach the peak of the Furnace realm in a mere century—even briefly holding his own against fourth-tier Demon Emperors and True Artifacts wielded by Nascent Soul cultivators—was that he had refined immense quantities of beast flesh throughout those hundred years. Zeng Yilong was currently in the early Furnace realm and stood in great need of quality nourishment as well.
"You all dote on him quite a bit, don't you?" Luo Chen teased gently.
Sima Huiniang brushed back a stray lock of hair and smiled. "We elders watched Little Long grow up from a boy. He's hardly any different from a child of our own, so it's only natural to treat him well."
She laid a deliberate emphasis on the words *a child of our own*.
Luo Chen's expression stiffened slightly, yet he did not evade the subject. Instead, he said softly, "Given the current circumstances, it is not yet the time."
Just then, the jade token hanging at his waist pulsed with light.
"The castellan needs me. Prepare a quiet room for me."
"Come to the back courtyard. My quarters are the quietest and safest."
Sima Huiniang led him to a room in the rear and closed the door behind him once he stepped inside. Standing outside, however, a trace of wistful melancholy settled over her face.
She wanted a child of her own.
***
Inside the room.
Luo Chen sank his divine sense into the jade token specially crafted for Nascent Soul cultivators by Lingtian Pass. Instantly, an inky black radiance enveloped him, within which several figures began to materialize.
At the center stood Castellan Lingtian.
Beside him was Xiao Shiniang.
A bout of coughing broke out as the divine soul projection of Perfected Xianhe coalesced. Luo Chen looked closely and saw that Xianhe's soul projection was faint and unsteady, clearly bearing the marks of injury.
"Fellow Daoist Xianhe?"
Perfected Xianhe gave a bitter smile. "Of the two Demon Emperors that attacked me, one was a Lightless Beast, exceptionally adept in soul-poisoning arts. A moment of carelessness cost me dearly. Fortunately, the castellan arrived in time to lend aid."
Luo Chen's heart stirred at the name.
When a Lightless Beast unleashed its true form, it could turn broad daylight into deepest night. Moving unseen within the gloom, its shadowy phantoms struck directly at the soul, making it a dreaded foe for cultivators. Xianhe spoke of it lightly, but the peril he had faced was not hard to imagine.
Xiao Shiniang sighed as well. "Things were not much easier on my end. Had I not promptly activated my natal True Artifact and combined it with my Nascent Soul domain to unleash my Mist-Cloud Domain, that Thousand-Land Howling Worm would have given me a great deal of trouble."
She turned toward Luo Chen, clicking her tongue in amazement. "Though you had only a single enemy, that great roc seemed to possess the bloodline of an ancient desolate beast, the Thunder Roc, and boasted formidable cultivation. Who would have thought you would emerge completely unscathed, Fellow Daoist Luo? You truly hide your light beneath a bushel!"
Luo Chen remained composed. "It was not through any prowess of mine. He simply did not press the attack with all his might."
Despite his dismissal, Xiao Shiniang appeared unconvinced. Rumor had it that when the Alchemy Master first returned to the Eastern Desolation, he had shattered Old Ghost Motian's natal True Artifact in a single blow. Although people claimed Motian had lent the artifact to a Golden Core junior, causing a delay in control that allowed Luo Chen to seize the opening, yesterday's battle suggested Luo Chen's strength had been gravely underestimated.
Or rather, it was not that his prowess was underestimated, but that his extraordinary alchemy had overshadowed the peerless arts he commanded.
Luo Chen did not wish to dwell on the matter and looked toward Castellan Lingtian. "Castellan, what urgent matter prompted you to summon us?"
The Lingtian jade tokens drew upon the city's grand formations to link the divine senses of the Nascent Soul cultivators, projecting their likenesses for swift communication. However, activating the token required pouring one's divine sense into it, leaving one's physical body largely unprotected. It was never used without pressing need.
Castellan Lingtian said calmly, "Not everyone has arrived yet. Give it a moment."
Luo Chen asked no more and fell silent.
A few dozen breaths passed before the space distorted and Qin Baixiang's projection materialized.
"My apologies. Clearing the battlefield took a bit of time, and I kept everyone waiting."
"No matter. There is still one more person," Castellan Lingtian replied evenly.
The others exchanged glances, quickly guessing who was missing.
Sure enough, another projection flickered into being at the center of the gathering.
It was Lingfengzi!
The moment he appeared, he spoke with urgency. "To make a long story short, I have scouted the surrounding area. Aside from Commander Qi Xi, Huang Man's army has now appeared and is barely half a day's march from the front line. Furthermore, two more Demon Emperors have arrived to reinforce the battered Qi Xi, likely two of the Ten Demon Emperors under his command. They arrived alone, but the armies they lead cannot be far behind."
At these words, everyone present grimaced.
Qi Xi had displayed terrifying might only yesterday. Had the defensive formation not been present, he alone could have posed an enormous threat to Lingtian Pass. Now, Huang Man—another of the famed Nine Commanders—was marching upon them with his forces as well.
Lingtian Pass was in dire peril!
Sensing their apprehension, Castellan Lingtian chuckled softly. "Rest easy. With me here, two commander-tier Demon Emperors pose no real threat to Lingtian Pass. What is more, I have already sent word to the rear; the Supreme Elder of the Tiandu Sect will personally come to Lingtian Pass. When the time comes, he will take command of the Black Tortoise Four Directions Formation!"
Lingtian Pass was fortified by countless formations: nine grand formations and twenty-seven secondary ones. The protective barrier spanning the entire city was none other than the Black Tortoise Four Directions Formation, passed down from the Mingyuan Sect.
It was a fifth-tier formation!
Its defensive power was unmatched, supplemented by lethal offensive might, yet even Castellan Lingtian could not draw out a tenth of its true potential. But the Supreme Elder of the Tiandu Sect was different. The Tiandu Sect was a renowned sect of formations in the Eastern Desolation, steeped in array lore and wielding immense influence. Even Tianfan City of the Far East Six Domains had originally traced its roots back to the Tiandu Domain, gaining foundational formation knowledge before establishing its own domain in the Far East and rising as a famous artifact-crafting sect.
Rumor held that the Tiandu Supreme Elder had long reached the late Nascent Soul stage, and his formation mastery was second to none throughout the Eastern Desolation. When he visited the Mingyuan Sect in past years, even the array masters of that sacred ground had praised him lavishly. If he personally took the helm of the Black Tortoise Four Directions Formation, Lingtian Pass would be impregnable! Forget two commanders; even if two more arrived, there would be no cause for alarm.
The group's expressions eased slightly.
And the good news did not end there.
Castellan Lingtian continued, "The calls for reinforcement sent earlier have all received replies. The Nascent Soul cultivators of the Five Lingtian Domains are leading their forces in a rapid march, and it will not be long before they arrive.
"The Second Palace Master of Fenghua Palace, Perfected Mu of Mu Prefecture, Pavilion Master Li of Wan Jian Pavilion, Perfected Jinling and Perfected Shenhuo of the Five Elements Divine Sect..."
Familiar names rolled off Castellan Lingtian's tongue one after another. With each name uttered, the hearts of the five listeners grew steadier. Counting them up, there were as many as ten Nascent Soul cultivators. Added to the six already stationed within Lingtian Pass, their high-end combat strength would be in no way inferior to the forces under Huang Man and Qi Xi.
Moreover, this was clearly not the limit of what the Five Lingtian Domains could muster. Paragons like the Crane Emperor of the White Crane Sect, the First Palace Master of Fenghua Palace, and the Supreme Elder of the Five Elements Divine Sect had yet to take the field. Even if forces proved insufficient, the established sects of the rear sixteen domains would march to their aid as agreed upon when Lingtian Pass was first erected.
Seeing that everyone had breathed a sigh of relief, Castellan Lingtian altered his tone.
"Naturally, none of you may let your guard down before the reinforcements arrive. Word has it that Huang Man belongs to the clan of the Ancient Demon Di Tian and possesses an exceedingly savage temper. Should he lose patience and launch an outright assault on Lingtian Pass, it will inevitably provoke a massive clash. Exercise the utmost caution!"
A chill ran through their hearts as they voiced their agreement.
"That will be all for today."
Castellan Lingtian prepared to disperse the gathering.
Lingfengzi suddenly called out, "Castellan, may I return now?"
Castellan Lingtian glanced at him. "It is not yet time. Scout more intelligence on the demon race. But remember to keep yourself safe; do not perish out there."
His voice still echoed as his projection faded away.
Lingfengzi gave a wry smile. "Fellow Daoists, things are rather precarious on my end, so I shall take my leave first."
Before vanishing, he hesitated, then offered a deep bow to the remaining cultivators.
Amidst Luo Chen and the others' surprise, he said in a low voice, "If I fail to return, I ask that the four of you look after the disciples of my Misty Sect. Lingfengzi shall be endlessly grateful!"
With those words, his projection dispersed.
The remaining cultivators exchanged glances. With nothing left to say, they hurriedly withdrew their divine senses.
***
Inside the room, the jade token hovering in midair fell with a soft clatter.
Luo Chen caught it, his expression turning solemn.
Castellan Lingtian's words had painted a hopeful picture. Yet before the reinforcements arrived, Lingtian Pass had only these few Nascent Soul cultivators to hold the line. The darkness before the dawn was always the hardest to endure.
"Hope..."
Luo Chen shook his head, brushing aside those ephemeral thoughts. He had once hoped that his three-year tour of duty would pass without encountering the main demon army. Yet here he was, facing a full-scale assault led by Commander Qi Xi and a host of Demon Emperors.
In the end, relying on prayers was far worse than relying on oneself.
He rose to his feet and stepped out of the room.
Waiting in the courtyard, Sima Huiniang hurried over the moment she saw him. "Husband!"
"Have someone deliver these two items to Perfected Xianhe at the southern gate. Say it is a token of my goodwill."
He handed her two jade vials. One held a fourth-tier Purple Qi Poison-Warding Pill he had concocted himself, and the other contained a fourth-tier Truth Fooling Pill like the one he had previously given to Sovereign Jiuling. Perhaps they could not cure the poison of a Lightless Beast outright, but they would surely provide some aid.
Sima Huiniang nodded, then retrieved a storage bag and offered it to him. "Elder Gu of the Tianyuan Commerce Alliance had someone deliver this, saying it contains what you requested."
Luo Chen swept his divine sense through it and understood at once. Inside were the illusion core tools and treasures he had asked for earlier.
Stowing the bag, he made for the exit.
Sima Huiniang followed behind, hesitating as if wanting to speak.
Just as they were about to step out of the rear courtyard, Luo Chen turned unexpectedly, and she bumped straight into his chest. A warm, masculine scent filled her senses, accompanied by his breath stirring against her ear.
"I do not want our child to be born into natural disasters and demon rampages. Nor do I want a tragedy like Lingjun and Qu Jiu, where father and son turn against each other because circumstances leave them no choice.
"Yet I promise you, once peace is restored, we will have children.
"More than one."
With that, he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead and turned, walking away with easy strides.
The woman remained standing in the courtyard amid fluttering petals, a warm flush blossoming across her cheeks.
Chapter 811