The Master of Alchemy, Luo Chen, had taken a strike from the Mingyuan Sect's Dao Child Lei?
This lightning-fast clash had caught everyone completely off guard.
And the outcome was even more unbelievable!
Just who was Dao Child Lei?
Beneath the Deity Transformation stage in the Mingyuan Sacred Ground, his fame shone brightest and his strength reigned supreme; he was likewise the person in the Eastern Desolation with the greatest promise of advancing to Deity Transformation.
Ever since making his debut, he had suffered virtually no defeats.
Rumor had it that he was a peerless prodigy, one in ten thousand, capable of comprehending the true intent of the laws while still in the Nascent Soul realm.
His recent feats only further attested to his formidable prowess.
Hunting down Jinxiuxian, defeating the joined forces of Bi Zheng and Juan Kuang, and capturing Gao Chang alive from amidst ten thousand demons!
Such achievements nearly matched the storied grandeur of Demon Emperor Qingshuang.
Faintly, some had even crowned him with the prestigious title of "Invincible Beneath Deity Transformation in the Eastern Desolation."
Against such a being, only cultivators of the same tier could stand as worthy adversaries. Even an offhand strike was by no means something an ordinary, weaker cultivator could parry.
Yet right before their eyes, Luo Chen, the Master of Alchemy celebrated across the realm for his alchemical arts, had fended off that blow without showing the slightest strain.
Who among them could fail to be utterly astounded?
Tianduzi wore an expression of amazement, murmuring inwardly, "Even though Dao Child Lei didn't go all out, Luo Chen's poise in countering it was truly beyond my expectations."
Jiuling Yuanjun's countenance grew solemn as he appraised Luo Chen deeply, as if seeing his friend for the very first time.
Lin Qingxuan pressed his lips together, silently grateful that he hadn't haggled with Luo Chen earlier.
Fenghua Fairy was thoroughly astonished; she was certain the strength Luo Chen had revealed in that fleeting moment exceeded what he had shown during the great battle in the Tiandu Region. Had he been holding back, or had he advanced in such a short span of time?
True Person Shenhuo and Old Ghost Motian exchanged glances, nodding imperceptibly.
It was that uncanny flame once again!
Gaze after gaze fell upon Luo Chen, each laden with different emotions.
Yet as all those eyes converged on him, it was like stars circling the moon, the hopes of the multitude resting upon his shoulders, making his mountain-still seated posture appear all the more imposing.
Bolstered by this rising momentum, the question Luo Chen repeated carried immense weight.
"Now, can your esteemed sect give us an explanation?"
Dao Child Lei slowly withdrew his hand, studying Luo Chen with keen interest and a hint of surprise.
Faced with the question, he seemed far less dismissive than before.
"This war has dragged on for far too long. When my Mingyuan Sect makes no move, it remains still; but once we move, we intend to pacify the demon chaos once and for all. Rather than continuing this endless tug-of-war, it is better to settle everything in a single decisive campaign. That chang ghost is the finest bait."
Luo Chen frowned. "Are you certain the demon race will launch a full-scale assault?"
Dao Child Lei gave a confident smile. "That chang ghost has the weight to force their hand! Its true form was the Yuan-Devouring Beast, a rare offshoot of desolate beast. Born to swallow the world's origin qi, it takes special pleasure in devouring the Dao fruits of cultivators, feeding on them as sustenance. During Ancient Demon Di Tian's Tribulation of Shape Transformation, it attempted a sneak attack, only to have its physical body destroyed and its spirit enslaved as a chang ghost.
"For many years, Ancient Demon Di Tian searched for ways to nurture this ghost. Eventually, he found it—swallowing the Nascent Souls of human cultivators allows it to advance. Once this demon breaks through to the Deity Transformation realm, Di Tian will possess a chang ghost of Deity Transformation caliber.
"He cannot resist such temptation. Thus, even though the war between humans and demons has an unwritten rule that Deity Transformation powerhouses must not intervene directly, he still secretly dispatched his chang ghost to ambush Nascent Soul True Persons on our side."
As this hidden secret was laid bare, everyone looked at each other in shock.
Desolate beasts had long since declined in this era, and whatever few remained were mostly confined to the boundless wilderness.
Yet now, a chang ghost whose true origin was a mutated desolate beast had actually appeared?
Furthermore, it was born to devour heaven-and-earth origin qi and feast upon the Dao fruits of cultivators?
What was a cultivator's Dao fruit?
The Foundation of Cultivation, the Great Dao Golden Core, the Three Treasures Nascent Soul, and even the Primordial Spirit—all could be called the crystallization of a cultivator's lifelong Dao fruit.
In other words, this so-called Yuan-Devouring Beast was innately malice incarnate toward all cultivators!
"According to my findings, after this beast was turned into a chang ghost, it suffered severe trauma from the loss of its physical vessel. Even so, by now, it has recultivated to the late Nascent Soul stage and stands merely a step away from Deity Transformation."
Dao Child Lei spoke with fluid confidence, truly providing everyone with a thorough explanation.
Then, he waved a broad sleeve.
"Therefore, Ancient Demon Di Tian will never abandon a chang ghost he spent centuries cultivating. Even if it means throwing the entire might of the Eastern Desolation's demon race into battle, he will stop at nothing to reclaim it!
"And that is the catalyst that will bring about the final, decisive showdown!
"Fellow Daoists, now that I have laid it out like this, do you understand?"
Silence fell over the hall; everyone was busy digesting the astonishing revelations they had received in such a short time.
No wonder Lingtian Pass had been placed under such tight security!
No wonder the Mingyuan Sect had stationed so many cultivators in the city, with their Nascent Soul True Persons surging from a dozen at the start to thirty now. Even Grand Cultivators, including Castellan Lingtian, now numbered six in total!
So it turned out they were preparing for the final, decisive battle!
Thump!
The sound of someone tapping a table rang out.
The crowd followed the sound and saw that it was Master of Alchemy Luo Chen.
Realization dawned on them: thankfully, the Master of Alchemy had taken the lead to organize this gathering, forcing the Mingyuan Sect to provide answers.
Otherwise, when the climactic clash between the two races suddenly erupted, they might have been caught unprepared and suffered catastrophic casualties.
Luo Chen looked straight at Dao Child Lei and said slowly,
"If that chang ghost is so vital that it could force the Eastern Desolation's demon race to wage total war, what if they fail to breach Lingtian Pass? Will Ancient Demon Di Tian disregard the unwritten rule forbidding Deity Transformation powerhouses from intervening and personally step in against us? If that happens, how will your esteemed sect handle the situation?"
He voiced the single question everyone cared about most.
Seeing the sea of tense faces, Dao Child Lei burst into hearty laughter.
Abruptly, his laughter ceased.
"Simple. The powerhouses of my Mingyuan Sect will naturally step forward to deal with him!
"Everyone, I have said all there is to say. Prepare yourselves well for the coming battle!"
With that, Dao Child Lei turned on his heel and strode away, paying no further heed to the cultivators in the hall, who were left caught between pleasant surprise and apprehension.
Once he departed, heated discussion broke out within the hall regarding the matter.
Gradually, everyone's attention drifted back toward Luo Chen, who had spoken up on their behalf earlier.
"Master of Alchemy, what do you think we should do?"
Faced with those anxious, uncertain faces, Luo Chen sighed.
"Just as Dao Child Lei said, this quagmire of a war has dragged on for far too long. If it can be resolved quickly, that is naturally for the best.
"Before the final battle arrives, our only recourse is to prepare as thoroughly as we can.
"Today's Dao discourse gathering should not be held in vain either. If fellow Daoists have unneeded resources, by all means bring them forth to trade and bolster our collective strength."
Everyone nodded in agreement, praising the Master of Alchemy's words as profoundly sensible.
Though they feared that monumental clash, deep down, each of them also yearned for it.
Because it had truly dragged on for too long!
Even though barely a century had actually passed, that perilous state of precarious survival—a blade hanging over their heads at every moment—still left them suffocating under the pressure.
Only by bringing this war to a true end could each person and each sect find liberation.
Sitting in a corner, True Person Shenhuo watched Luo Chen speak with such easy authority, a flicker of dread surfacing in his eyes.
Just when had this fellow risen to sit at the forefront giving directions, with every word he uttered commanding universal agreement?
Had his prestige reached such heights already?
***
Inside the Castellan's Estate!
Castellan Lingtian looked at Dao Child Lei, who had just returned, and asked bluntly, "Did you tell them everything?"
"I did. It was something senior brother should have announced, so I overstepped this time," Dao Child Lei replied with a chuckle.
Castellan Lingtian shook his head. "There is no talk of overstepping—it was merely a matter of sooner or later. However, I heard you had a clash with Luo Chen?"
"Hardly a clash, merely testing the waters," Dao Child Lei waved a hand, suddenly taking on an intrigued expression. "If I hadn't tested him, it would have been fine, but after doing so, I discovered that he hides his depths remarkably well. He is indeed worthy of our Mingyuan Sect's high regard!"
Castellan Lingtian smiled. "After all, he is the one who stirred up the Tianyuan Dao Sect's five-hundred-year grand tournament, and upon returning to the Eastern Desolation, he successively earned the two illustrious titles of Master of Alchemy and Demon-Slaying True Person. How could he be someone who gained fame through hollow deceit?"
Yet...
"No!"
Dao Child Lei shook his head, his tone solemn.
"When I say he hides his depths, I mean he may have already comprehended the true intent of the laws!"
Castellan Lingtian froze.
Dao Child Lei paced the courtyard, muttering under his breath.
"Junior Brother Chongming was tasked with traveling to the Central Plains to observe Chu Yan's Ascension Ceremony.
"Chu Yan, mindful of past ties, bestowed a Tianji Pill upon Junior Brother Chongming. And according to him, there were only five Tianji Pills in total back then. Three remained with the Tianyuan Dao Sect, and the last one was given to Luo Chen, who went by the Daoist name Desolate Hermit at the time.
"When the Patriarch named Luo Chen to be brought back to the Mingyuan Sect after the war, it was initially with an eye on that Tianji Pill. Only later was he drawn by Luo Chen's alchemical talent, hoping to have him take Chu Yan's place as our Mingyuan Sect's new generation's Alchemy Saint.
"Yet looking at it now, I fear Luo Chen consumed that Tianji Pill long ago and comprehended the true intent of the laws. Otherwise, with merely his mid Nascent Soul cultivation, he could never have withstood that strike of mine!"
Castellan Lingtian swallowed dryly, his eyes displaying a touch of disbelief alongside a trace of envy.
"Do you know what true intent he comprehended?"
Dao Child Lei frowned. "I couldn't tell. Logically, it ought to be the True Intent of Fire. Yet when I observed his strike, there was no corresponding amplification in his dharmic power."
Castellan Lingtian hesitated. "Could you have misjudged?"
Dao Child Lei swept his wide sleeve. "I could never misjudge. That palm strike of his undeniably contained something far above ordinary dharmic power. It looked like source true fire, but in reality, it surpassed any true fire a Nascent Soul cultivator could master. Only the true intent of the laws can explain it."
Castellan Lingtian fell silent.
In his mind, he could not help recalling the scene when Luo Chen had first appeared years ago.
With a single move, he had refined Old Ghost Motian's True Artifact, Motian Cliff.
"Junior Brother, you might really be mistaken. Luo Chen does possess an exceptionally formidable source true fire."
Dao Child Lei paused, then said skeptically, "The True Intent of Lightning that I comprehended is the most tyrannical true intent of the laws in this world. What true fire could possibly withstand it? A fifth-tier divine fire? Haha, how could a mere Nascent Soul cultivator like Luo Chen ever command a fifth-tier divine fire?"
Dao Child Lei remained steadfast in his conviction, believing Luo Chen had comprehended some extraordinary law intent.
Seeing that he could not convince Castellan Lingtian, he didn't press the matter, concluding the topic with a simple, "You wouldn't understand."
Those three words cast a shadow over Castellan Lingtian's expression.
Paying no heed to his senior brother's mood, Dao Child Lei turned to another subject.
"Luo Chen's prestige in the Eastern Desolation seems to have grown a bit too high!"
Castellan Lingtian chimed in somewhat dismissively, "His reputation has always been stellar, and he makes friends far and wide. It's only natural for his prestige to be high."
"No!" Dao Child Lei said with a frown. "It is excessively high. Today, all the cultivators looked to him for leadership, including some who aren't even on good terms with him. If this continues unchecked, I fear it won't be easy for us to forcibly take him back to the Mingyuan Sect when the time comes."
Surprise surfaced on Castellan Lingtian's face.
He had not attended today's Shouyang Dao Discourse, and what information he received had been relayed by others, leaving it somewhat incomplete.
For it to make his junior brother this solemn, it seemed unexpected developments had indeed occurred during the assembly!
***
The Shouyang Dao Discourse did not last several days as it had in the past.
After merely a single day and night, it drew to a hurried close.
After all, the overarching situation was that the entire city was under martial law to guard against an all-out demon assault.
Yet all who attended departed thoroughly satisfied.
Whether in terms of insider information or trading resources, everyone came away with gains.
And in this regard, Luo Chen was without question the most dazzling figure present.
This was readily apparent as the gathering dispersed, when virtually every cultivator took the initiative to bid him farewell.
Accompanying Luo Chen to the discourse gathering were Gu Caiyi and Wang Yuan.
They had spent their time conversing with others outside, and only when the meeting ended did they notice this peculiar change.
"Husband, why do I feel that those Nascent Soul True Persons treat you with such profound respect?"
Luo Chen steered a dharma cloud, carrying the two toward Mount Danluo.
He calmly asked in return, "Hasn't it always been like that?"
Gu Caiyi shook her head. "It's still somewhat different from usual. Brother Wang, don't you agree?"
Wang Yuan grunted in agreement; he had noticed the difference as well.
In the past, those Nascent Soul True Persons might have respected Luo Chen, but it was mostly superficial.
Unlike today, where there was an unmistakable touch of heartfelt reverence.
At this, the corners of Luo Chen's lips curled up slightly, though he did not explain further.
He had finally arrived at this point after all!
Ever since returning to the Eastern Desolation, he had used his alchemical prowess to forge connections across all quarters.
Through successive major battles, he had slain countless demons, earning widespread recognition for his strength.
Had things merely continued along that trajectory, it would at most have prompted others to curry favor with him; it would not have amounted to genuine reverence, let alone having them look to him as their leader.
Yet as fate would have it, after several brutal campaigns, the landscape among the Eastern Desolation's powerhouses had undergone a profound shift.
A large swath of peers at his level of cultivation had either fallen or suffered severe injuries.
As for those higher in cultivation than him, that old scoundrel Shenyuan paid no heed to mundane affairs, showing his face only in times of war.
Tianduzi had originally been deeply revered, repeatedly speaking out on behalf of the various sects and subtly shouldering the duty of negotiating with the Mingyuan Sect on behalf of the major powers.
Yet after the Tiandu Sect suffered catastrophic losses and Lingtian Pass's grand formation was breached, both his personal spirit and his standing had inevitably plummeted.
Apart from the Grand Cultivators of the Mingyuan Sect, the Eastern Desolation had one other Grand Cultivator—the Supreme Elder of the Dongyang Sect.
Yet that man not only refused to step outside the Dongyang Sect, but even if he did, he would undoubtedly stand on the Mingyuan Sect's side.
Under these circumstances, no one dared to step forward!
Even though Deng Taiyue was at the sixth layer of Nascent Soul, and even though Jiuling Yuanjun was said to rival a Grand Cultivator, they still lacked sufficient personal prestige.
Luo Chen had seized upon this vacuum. In the name of the Master of Alchemy, he had stepped forward on everyone's behalf, channeling the collective will of the assembly to force the Mingyuan Sect to make a statement.
Most of all, he had harnessed the power of the Wither-Bloom Divine Fire to withstand a strike from Dao Child Lei head-on.
With reputation and martial strength intertwined, coupled with his bold conduct, he had subtly supplanted Tianduzi, becoming the single most respected figure in Lingtian Pass outside of the Mingyuan Sect!
This was what Tianduzi had once possessed, and what the Mount Shouyang Hermit had once yearned for; now, it rested squarely upon Luo Chen's shoulders.
Most importantly, through yesterday's discourse gathering, he had gleaned a glimpse of the Mingyuan Sect's attitude toward him.
Tolerance, and even indulgence.
Beneath the surface, their intention to win him over had never ceased!
Upon reaching Mount Danluo, after dismissing Gu Caiyi and Wang Yuan, Luo Chen stood alone at the summit, his faint smile gradually fading away.
"With them showing such favor, I fear there will be no returning to Tiandi Peak."
Chapter 847