On the way there, the pursuit had been swift and urgent.
On the return journey, his pace was unhurried.
From the moment the Mingyuan Sect cultivators stood by with folded hands, Luo Chen lost every shred of enthusiasm for this war.
The power that truly held the ability to dictate the course of this conflict was not the countless cultivators throwing their lives away at Lingtian Pass, but the Soul Formation holy land itself—the Mingyuan Sect.
Yet even they harbored sinister motives, just as Luo Chen had predicted years ago, watching with cold detachment as Nascent Soul sects were shattered and destroyed one after another.
Even if this war was ultimately won, what meaning would it hold?
In the end, it was merely sewing a bridal gown for the Mingyuan Sect!
"One must cherish life: cherish oneself, and cherish the lives of every follower who marches behind me.
"At the very least, precious lives must not be squandered on such a war.
"It is not worth it!"
Sitting cross-legged atop the black dragon’s back, Luo Chen wore a calm expression, his heart tranquil as still water.
……
Several days later, Luo Chen returned to Baili Qingchuan.
"Master, won't you take me along?"
"There is no need."
"At a critical juncture, Xiao Hei can still be of help to you."
"Haha, so long as no Great Cultivator moves against me, ordinary foes are nothing in my eyes. But if a Great Cultivator does strike, there is little you could do to help anyway. You would be better off guarding our home."
The Black King grunted in agreement and listlessly burrowed down into the depths of the earth vein.
Li Yingzhang stood off to the side, flanked by Tianxuan and Min Longyu.
Seeing Luo Chen return safe and sound, smiles of relief and joy broke out across their faces.
With a gentle smile, Luo Chen inquired about the recent situation, but the answer caught him completely off guard.
"Lingtian Pass has been breached!"
Even though he had anticipated that Lingtian Pass would come under assault, Luo Chen had never imagined that the fortress, with its towering walls, deep moats, and the protection of a Tier 5 grand array, could be overrun in the brief window of their absence.
With lingering dread, Li Yingzhang explained, "On the third day after you and the others departed, Supreme Elder, the demon beast army launched a general offensive against Lingtian Pass. After three more days of bitter fighting, the five commanders appeared simultaneously and launched a violent assault on the Black Tortoise Four Directions Formation. Tianduzi took control of the grand array to resist them, initially holding out in a precarious stalemate. But at the critical moment, Commander Huang Man brought forth the methods of the ancient demon Di Tian to forcefully shatter the array. Tianduzi suffered a catastrophic backlash, sustaining grave injuries. Without the grand array's protection, thirty Demon Emperors led tens of millions of demon beasts in a headlong surge, butchering their way straight into Lingtian Pass..."
Hearing that horrific scene described, Luo Chen's heart instantly tightened.
"What happened next?"
"Fortunately, reinforcements arrived in the nick of time. Lingtian Pass's teleportation array seemed to have been prepared in advance; just as the Demon Emperors breached the walls, more than a dozen Nascent Soul True Persons teleported over from the Mingyuan Sect's side. Joining forces with the experts stationed in the city, they managed to barely drive the Demon Emperors back out."
Luo Chen frowned. "How could they drive them out? With the five commanders present, how could ordinary Nascent Soul True Persons achieve that?"
Li Yingzhang shook his head. "The Mingyuan Sect also dispatched two Great Cultivators to reinforce the defense. Furthermore, the five commanders had no intention of prolonging the fight. After breaking the array, some unexpected turn seemed to occur. Seeing that victory would not come swiftly, they took the initiative to withdraw."
A strange glint flickered across Luo Chen's eyes. Counting on his fingers, he realized the time the five commanders had retreated coincided almost perfectly with the conclusion of the battle at the Tiandu Sect.
Had those commanders withdrawn to rendezvous with Jinxiuxian and the others who were fleeing pursuit?
"Even though the Demon Emperors retreated, the casualties inflicted upon the defenders of Lingtian Pass were staggering—nearly half fell! For our Luotian Sect alone, over a hundred disciples died in battle, and among our Core Formation elders, Fu Jiusheng and Chu Kui were both unfortunately..."
Luo Chen listened to the entire account in silence, his composed countenance betraying no emotion.
After a long while, he asked in a low voice, "Where did this intelligence come from?"
Li Yingzhang's expression turned grave. "The Tianyuan Commerce Alliance took the initiative to inform us."
Luo Chen gave a faint scoff. By leveraging the Luotian Treasure Pavilion, the Tianyuan Commerce Alliance had indeed penetrated deep enough to gather even such core intelligence.
Wasting no more time, he gave a few brief instructions, then turned and flew straight toward Lingtian Pass.
Watching his receding figure until it vanished from sight, the composure on Li Yingzhang's face finally gave way to a look of utter powerlessness.
In a single battle, the Luotian Sect, which already possessed meager foundations, had lost a third of its strength.
As the sect master managing day-to-day affairs, his heart ached more than anyone's.
……
At the break of dawn, the morning light gradually spread across the sky.
A figure descended outside the West Gate.
Gazing at the cracked walls and the blood-soaked earth, Luo Chen flew inside without a word.
There was no familiar suppression from the ban-on-flight array, which meant Lingtian Pass's aerial restriction array had also been destroyed in that battle.
With the Black Tortoise Four Directions Formation also shattered, Lingtian Pass no longer posed any restraint whatsoever to Demon Emperor-level powerhouses!
He flew slowly, letting the foul stench of blood drift into his nose, the restless clamor of the city buzzing in his ears.
A streak of light soared up to intercept him.
Yet upon catching sight of his face, the interceptor immediately took on a respectful demeanor.
"Senior Danzong!"
"Yes."
Luo Chen nodded, looking at the unfamiliar Core Formation cultivator with a mild expression.
"Do you know where the cultivators of my Luotian Sect are at present?"
Without hesitation, the Core Formation cultivator replied, "They should be at Mount Danluo."
"Thank you."
Luo Chen casually tossed over a bottle of medicine pills, paying no heed to the man's effusive gratitude as he drifted deeper into the city.
Wherever his eyes fell, the scene was one of utter ruin.
Countless buildings had collapsed, and amidst the rubble and broken walls lay the corpses of demon beasts and cultivators alike, clearly left uncollected in the chaos.
And this was merely the West District, which was relatively the safest.
It was hard to imagine what the other three districts looked like, particularly the East District, which had borne the brunt of the assault.
Luo Chen dared not dwell on it, flying straight toward Mount Danluo.
Before long, he spotted silhouettes bustling atop the mountain.
He revealed himself and released ripples of his dharmic power.
Someone noticed him immediately and cried out in a booming voice:
"The Supreme Elder is back!"
Instantly, everyone on the mountain halted what they were doing and flew toward him in unison.
The moment they saw Luo Chen, the bewilderment in their eyes vanished, as if they had rediscovered their backbone.
Luo Chen's gaze swept over the crowd. Some were dispirited, some covered in wounds, and missing limbs were common. Even Core Formation cultivators like Yang Pingdu were visibly in poor condition.
A scattered group of a hundred-odd people—this was all that remained of the Luotian Sect's strength.
"Disperse and rest well. Ensure your wounds leave no hidden ailments."
Luo Chen offered a word of comfort without indulging in formalities.
Once the low-level disciples scattered, Zeng Yilong, Fairy Jueqing, and the others followed Luo Chen into Mount Danluo.
At the same time, they recounted the previous battle to him in detail.
"On the third day after you departed, Martial Uncle, the demon beast army launched a general offensive, encircling all of Lingtian Pass so tightly that not even water could seep through.
"When the Black Tortoise Four Directions Formation fell, vast numbers of low-level demon beasts surged in.
"The previously established Deathground Army lost its defensive strongholds. Like a tray of loose sand, they were instantly scattered by the charge.
"Under Master's direction, we fell back to Mount Danluo to mount a defense..."
Luo Chen walked with heavy steps along Mount Danluo, spreading his divine sense to inspect the condition of the mountain's grand array.
The array foundations had been shaken, and even the earth vein qi showed signs of obstructed flow.
Fortunately, the main vein had not dispersed. With a bit of repair and guidance, this mountain could still remain a prime cultivation ground.
"I have already contacted the Luotian Treasure Pavilion. With experts from the Tianyuan Commerce Alliance protecting it, there should be no major issues," Zeng Yilong said.
Luo Chen came to a halt outside a damaged hall. "Where is your master?"
Zeng Yilong's master was, of course, Wang Yuan.
At the mention of him, a look of reverence surfaced in Zeng Yilong's eyes.
"Master is recuperating inside the hall. A Tier 4 Demon Emperor was drawn to Mount Danluo during the assault. Master personally took the field and fought a fierce battle against it, barely holding it at bay until the Mingyuan Sect reinforcements arrived."
Those words made it sound effortless, but in reality, it had been fraught with extreme peril.
The moment Luo Chen laid eyes on Wang Yuan, he understood everything.
"You used the fire seed I gave you?"
Wang Yuan nodded. "In that situation, only by relying on your fire seed could I fight the Demon Emperor with all my strength. Afterward, I was thoroughly exhausted, but over the past few days of rest, I have gradually regained my vitality."
"Allow me to examine and treat you!"
Wang Yuan smiled and did not decline Luo Chen's good intentions.
As medical techniques were cast one after another alongside various spirit medicines, Wang Yuan's complexion visibly returned to normal.
Clearly, his condition had not been nearly as light as he claimed.
During this time, cultivators from the Luotian Treasure Pavilion also hurried to Mount Danluo under the leadership of Sima Huiniang and Gu Caiyi.
While treating Wang Yuan, Luo Chen handed over the various wound-healing medicines he had stockpiled over the years to the two women, bidding them to tend to the sect's disciples.
It seemed as though everything was slowly beginning to recover.
Yet Luo Chen knew that since Lingtian Pass had been breached once, the demons had tasted blood and would never fail to return.
And since the Mingyuan Sect had already stepped in, it meant they would formally join the war, making subsequent battles all the more ferocious.
To all of this, he remained indifferent.
Three days later, Luo Chen withdrew his hands.
Looking at Wang Yuan, who slowly opened his eyes, Luo Chen cautioned, "Your physical body is exceptionally tough, which is why you barely managed to withstand the power of my fire seed. But you could only do that once. I cannot give you a second seed; if unleashed again, it would mean certain death."
Wang Yuan seemed unbothered. "It matters not. One cannot rely on external aids forever; in the end, one must depend on oneself."
Luo Chen nodded. After a moment of thought, he retrieved a miniature mountain from his storage ring.
"This is?" Wang Yuan asked curiously.
Luo Chen explained, "This treasure is named Baizao Mountain. It was the heirloom treasure of a major Core Formation sect overseas. Though it is a magic treasure, it is exceptionally heavy. Seeing that your weapon was destroyed in the previous battle, I gift this mountain to you."
At this point, he felt a touch of regret.
"In truth, after I refined Motian Cliff back then, I collected the remnant materials of that True Artifact. I originally planned to integrate them into Baizao Mountain before gifting it to you, but over these years, I never found a suitable opportunity, nor have I mastered the relevant integration methods."
Wang Yuan did not mind in the slightest. Taking Baizao Mountain and weighing it in his hand, a look of satisfaction crossed his face.
A body cultivator's strength stemmed from astral qi, which was fundamentally distinct from a cultivator's dharmic power.
Therefore, weapons had to be compatible with astral qi to be effective.
Luo Chen had very few body-cultivator weapons on hand, possessing only a single Myriad Jun Halberd, which he had already gifted to Zeng Yilong.
When he had first returned to the Eastern Desolation, he indeed intended to integrate the Motian Cliff materials into Baizao Mountain for Wang Yuan, but he had never managed to figure out how to modify it for astral qi activation.
For now, he could only let Wang Yuan make do with Baizao Mountain.
At the very least, the thing was heavy enough!
Suddenly, Wang Yuan spoke.
"What are your plans next?"
Facing Wang Yuan's question, Luo Chen lifted his eyelids slightly. "Why do you ask?"
Wang Yuan replied naturally, "Lingtian Pass was breached this time. Even if the grand array is repaired later, it will no longer be an impregnable stronghold. The Mingyuan Sect has begun entering this war as well. Over these past few days, low-level cultivators from their sect have been arriving in steady streams; clearly, they are preparing to launch a counteroffensive. Under this grand tide of events, if you have no plans whatsoever, the Luotian Sect will inevitably be ground down until not a single soldier remains. Don't tell me you intend to watch all of this happen with indifference?"
Luo Chen fell silent.
After a long while, a bitter smile appeared on his face.
"You spoke of the grand tide yourself. Under such a colossal surge of events, anyone short of Soul Formation remains merely a chess piece. What I can do is far too insignificant."
"Soul Formation..."
Wang Yuan sighed. That realm was far too distant.
"Let us take things one step at a time!"
Luo Chen offered a word of reassurance, then rose to his feet and walked straight out of the cave abode.
As if by appointment, an envoy arrived—a cultivator of the Mingyuan Sect.
"Senior Danzong, the City Lord's Manor requests your presence!"
Luo Chen was not surprised in the least. He had made no effort to conceal his movements upon returning over these past few days; the powerhouses within the city would naturally have learned of his arrival.
Then he might as well make the trip!
He also wished to know the specific situation on the various battlefields, and what the Mingyuan Holy Land truly planned to do next!
……
The familiar City Lord's Manor remained as imposing and magnificent as ever.
The washed white-jade plaza gleamed as though brand new, as if nothing had ever transpired.
Yet Luo Chen, having arrived first and met the subsequent arrivals one by one, knew just how catastrophic the preceding battle had truly been.
"Xiao Shiniang is dead! The Yanhua Ancient Isle has vanished into thin air."
"True Person Mu fell in battle; his corpse was torn to shreds by two Demon Emperors. I heard that his Mu residence in Mu Prefecture had already been destroyed by a surprise-attack Demon Emperor unit before his demise, so his mind was in turmoil during the Lingtian Pass battle, leading to such a tragic end."
"Haha, to tell the truth, if my Piaomiao Sect's disciples hadn't been wiped out long ago, leaving me all alone with only myself to look after, I'm afraid Senior Danzong wouldn't be seeing me today either."
Lingfengzi's tone carried a self-deprecating laugh, but his expression was bleak, utterly devoid of joy.
Luo Chen asked, "What of the others?"
Lingfengzi recounted what he had gathered one by one.
"Fellow Daoist Xianhe is unharmed. True Person He of his sect emerged from seclusion and joined forces with him in combat, displaying immense strength.
"Old Fu's condition is not good; he was gravely injured during the battle at Lingtian Pass. Two days ago, True Person Ye Lan rushed to Lingtian Pass to take charge of the Divine Talisman Sect's disciples... Ah, isn't that him over there?"
As they spoke, a Nascent Soul True Person stepped into the hall from the entrance.
After glancing around the room, his gaze settled on Luo Chen's group, and the composed, mature-looking middle-aged man walked over to them.
"This humble one is Ye Lan. Greetings, Danzong. Greetings, Lingfengzi."
Luo Chen returned the greeting with a nod of respect, then inquired after Old Fu's condition.
A look of grief crossed Ye Lan's face. "The elder's condition is terrible. His foundation was damaged, and I fear..."
Luo Chen sighed. "Once today's matters are concluded, I shall find time to pay a visit to Old Fu!"
The crowd inside the hall gradually grew.
Upon seeing Luo Chen, several people took the initiative to come over and converse.
Even Pharmacist Yao, who had previously clashed with him, gritted his teeth and stepped forward.
Yet upon learning that Qidong Mountain had been destroyed, his face turned the color of ashes, just as Fairy Fenghua had described, as though all his spirit and energy had drained away.
Only now did Luo Chen profoundly realize how devastating a blow this battle had dealt to the various great factions of the Eastern Desolation.
The rear had been raided, and the front lines breached.
Hit from both front and back, the casualties were catastrophic!
And this was evidently not the end of it.
More familiar faces appeared within the hall.
Sovereign Jiuling, Deng Taiyue, and others arrived one after another, yet a number of familiar figures were conspicuously missing.
"Where is Heavenly Master Hua?"
"Perished alongside the Xuhuang Sect!"
"Where is Pavilion Master Li?"
"Died beneath the palm of Great Demon Emperor Bi Zheng! Not only that, Daoist Tieguan was also grievously injured and has returned to Bailu Cave to recuperate."
Speaking of that battle, Sovereign Jiuling wore a look of lingering dread.
He looked toward Luo Chen and asked about the situation at the Tiandu Sect.
The answer he received left him thoroughly shocked.
"Jinling was no weakling, yet even he has fallen?"
The mention of Jinling's name seemed to trigger a chain reaction, instantly drawing a cold, venomous gaze.
A black-robed old man stepped into the hall, a domineering aura bearing down heavily upon Luo Chen.
"Luo Chen!"
Chapter 841